Emiliano Lasa was awarded the prestigious best athlete prize ©Getty Images

The Uruguayan Olympic Committee (COU) held an awards ceremony to honour the country's best athletes of the year.

Emiliano Lasa was awarded the prestigious best athlete prize.

He finished second at the South American Championships in Paraguay's capital Asuncion this year and was also ninth at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in London.

Last year, Lasa finished in sixth place at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, earning an Olympic diploma.

Other awards to be handed out included best young athlete, which went to tennis player María Fernanda Secinaro.

Sailing's Luis Chiapparro was named as coach of the year.

The COU's President is International Swimming Federation President Julio Maglione, who was himself honoured this week.

Emiliano Lasa won silver at the South American Championships ©Getty Images
Emiliano Lasa won silver at the South American Championships ©Getty Images

He received the outstanding lifetime achievement prize at the Association of National Olympic Committees' Awards Gala in Prague.

It came after a sports governance career which has stretched more than six decades. 

Uruguay sent a team of 17 athletes to Rio 2016 but they did not win a medal at the Games on their own continent.

The country's only two Olympic gold medals in history came in the men's football tournaments at Paris 1924 and Amsterdam 1928.

At Sydney 2000, cyclist Milton Wynants won silver in the men's points race.

This was the first Uruguayan Olympic medal since Tokyo 1964 when boxer Washington Rodríguez won bantamweight bronze.