President Augusto Morán Nuque was in attendance at the event alongside Sports Minister Andrea Sotomayor as stars from the South American nation were recognised.

Swimmer Samantha Arévalo and boxer Carlos Mina won the women's and men's prizes respectively.

Arévalo won the silver medal in the 10 kilometre open water event at the International Swimming Federation World Championships in Hungarian capital Budapest last year.

Mina, meanwhile, won light heavyweight bronze at the 2017 World Championships in German city Hamburg.

In addition to the two prizes, an Olympic Spirit award was presented for the first time.

The accolade will honour athletes who "give their all at their competitions, for the love of their sport, their country and Olympism".

Weightlifter Alexandra Escobar and race walker Claudio Villanueva were announced as the inaugural winners.

Both of Ecuador's two Olympic medals have been won by walker Jefferson Pérez.

He won gold in the 20km event at Atlanta 1996 and then silver over the same distance at Beijing 2008.

The country is making its Winter Olympic debut at the ongoing Pyeongchang 2018 Games.

Cross-country skier Klaus Jungbluth Rodriguez is their sole representative in South Korea.