When it comes to excellence in something, the Oscar – the greatest glory of cinema, which this year had as indicated “I’m still here” (best international film, statuette wins for the Brazilian feature, and best movie) and Fernanda Torres (best actress) – is a reference.
In other areas, this award is remembered to praise the importance of conquest. Grammy is “The Oscar of Music”; Tony, “The Theater Oscar”; The Emmy, “The Oscar of Television”.
The sport also has its “Oscar”. It is the Laureus Award, granted annually since 2000 to the best of the year in some sports categories. The author of this text is one of the voting journalists in the awards.
Brazilians have had the honor, rarely, to be awarded the trophy, but never won the main awards, best man sportsman and best woman sportsman.
Daniel Dias, from swimming, owner of 25 medals in Paralympic Games (14 gold, 7 silver and 4 bronzes) is the biggest winner among those born in Brazil. Won three times in the Best Disabled Athlete category, in 2009, 2013 and 2016.
Or other Brazilians who won Laureus, once each, are football or extreme sports.
Ronaldo, the phenomenon, won the prize in 2003 in the return category of the year. After recovering from serious knee injury, the striker shone in the 2002 World Cup win (Corea/Japan), being the top scorer with eight goals, and scoring the two goals from Brazil in Germany in the final.
The Brazilian soccer team took the team laureus of the year in that same 2003, for the conquest of the World Cup in Asia, with a team that, besides Ronaldo, had Rivaldo, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Cafu and Roberto Carlos, under the command of Luiz Felipe Scolari (Scolari).
In 2002, skateboarder Bob Burnquist won the award for Best Action Sports Athlete, becoming the first Brazilian to raise the statuette in one of the traditional categories.
These categories, annual, are: sportsman man, sportsman woman, team, revelation, return, paratlete and action sports.
In addition to these commendations, Pelé, the best in football history, and Raí, idol of São Paulo and Paris Saint-Germain, took special awards from the Laureus World Sports Academy.
The king of football was elected in 2000 in the Lifetime category, which awards the sportsman for the whole work, considering deeds and accomplishments throughout his life.
The former midfielder, world champion with Brazil in the 1994 World Cup, won in 2012 in the Sport for Good category, for those who stand out for the “contribution to sports or contribution to society through sports”.
But it is in sports regarded as radicals that Brazil usually draws attention in the “Oscar do Esporte”.
Although he only won the prize once, with Burnquist, the country received 15 nominations from 2014 to 2024. They competed (some more than once), but did not take Burnquist himself, Surfers Maya Gabeira, Gabriel Medina, Italo Ferreira, Adriano de Souza (Mineirinho) and Filipe Toledo, and skaters Pedro Barros and Rayssa Leal.
Four brasucas footballers were close to winning the noblest awards as they were finalists. In men, Ronaldo (in 2003), Ronaldinho Gaúcho (in 2006) and Kaka (in 2008). In the female, Marta (in 2008).
The biggest winners of the best man’s sportsman Laureus are tennis players Roger Federer (Swiss) and Novak Djokovic (Serbian), with five trophies each.
Tennis player Serena Williams (American) is at the top of achievements at Laureus for Best Women’s Sportsman: four statuettes.
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