Maria Clara Pacheco, world champion in taekwondo (up to 57 kg), and Caio Bonfim, world champion in the 20 km race walk, were elected this Thursday (11) the “Best Athletes of the Year” at the Brazil Olympic Awards, held by the COB (Brazilian Olympic Committee).
The party that crowned the two took place in Cidade das Artes, in Rio de Janeiro. Caio had the privilege of taking the stage to receive the award for the second year in a row. This time, he competed with Henrique Marques (taekwondo), Hugo Calderano (table tennis) and Yago Dora (surfing).
“Last year, when I won, I thought it would be the only prize. So, winning again this year was very special. It was a year of great gratitude, with several people involved. I especially thank my parents and my wife”, said the marcher.
In the women’s competition, Maria Clara beat Gabi Guimarães (volleyball), Rayssa Leal (skateboard) and Rebeca Lima (boxing).
“Honestly, I was already honored to have been nominated. Bringing taekwondo to this stage, for this award, being an athlete in the sport nominated as the best of the year among all… I am very happy and very proud to participate in such a beautiful phase that taekwondo is experiencing, writing a very beautiful story”, celebrated Maria Clara.
In the team category, the rhythmic gymnastics team was voted the best of the year after winning two silver medals at the World Championships held in Rio de Janeiro, in August. The group is made up of Nicole Pircio, Maria Paula Carminha, Eduarda Arakaki, Sofia Madeira and Mariana Gonçalves.
In an unprecedented way, the COB also awarded a male and a female representative in the “Fans Athlete” category. The winners were Gabriela Guimarães, from volleyball, and João Fonseca, from tennis.
Gabi beat the rhythmic gymnastics team and gymnast Flavinha Saraiva, while João beat Alison dos Santos, from athletics, and Hugo Calderano, from table tennis.
World boxing champion (up to 60 kg), Rebeca Lima received the title of “Breakthrough Athlete”.
The ceremony also honored two young talents who shone at the Youth Games in Brasília: Davi Souza de Lima, from athletics, and Clarisse Vallim, from judo.
See the winners in each category
Open Waters — Ana Marcela Cunha
Athletics — Caio Bonfim
Badminton — Juliana Viana
3×3 basketball — Gabriela Guimarães
5×5 basketball — Yago dos Santos
Baseball —Victor Coutinho
Boxing —Rebeca Lima
Canoeing Slalom — Ana Sátila
Speed Canoeing — Gabriel Assunção and Jacky Godmann
Ciclismo BMX Freestyle —Gustavo de Oliveira “Bala Loka”
BMX Racing Cycling — Paola Reis
Road Cycling — All Magalhães
Ciclismo Mountain Bike — Ulan Galinski
Track Cycling — João Vitor da Silva
Cricket — Laura Cardoso
Snow Sports — Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (alpine skiing)
Ice Sports — Nicole Silveira (skeleton)
Sport Climbing — Anja Kohler
Fencing — Isabela Carvalho
Flag Football —Karol Souza
Soccer — Marta
Artistic Gymnastics —Flávia Saraiva
Trampoline Gymnastics — Camilla Gomes
Rhythmic Gymnastics — Nicole Pircio, Maria Paula Carminha, Eduarda Arakaki, Sofia Madeira, Mariana Gonçalves
Gulf —Fred Biondi
Handball — Bruna de Paula
Equestrian Dressage — João Victor Oliva
Equestrian CCE —Marcio Jorge
Equestrian Jumping — Stephan Barcha
Field Hockey — Yuri Van Der Heijden
Judo — Daniel Cargnin
Lacrosse — Titus Chapman
Weight Lifting —Laura Amaro
Greco-Roman Wrestling — Pedro Henrique Rodrigues
wrestling —Eduarda Batista
Artistic Swimming — Gabriela Regly and Silva Abrantes Teixeira
Swimming — Guilherme Caribé
Modern Pentathlon — John Xavier
Water Polo — João Fernandes
Remo — Beatriz Tavares
Costal Rowing — David Faria de Souza
Rugby 7 — Thalia Costa
Heels — Anna Lúcia dos Santos and Luana Lira
Skate —Rayssa Leal
softball — Mayra Sayumi Akamine
Squash —Diego Gobbi
Surf — Yago Dora
Taekwondo —Maria Clara Pacheco
Tennis — João Fonseca
Table tennis —Hugo Calderano
Archery —Marcus D’Almeida
Sports Shooting — Felipe Wu
Triathlon —Miguel Hidalgo
Vela — Mateus Isaac
Beach Volleyball — Carol Solberg e Rebecca
Volleyball — Gabriela Guimarães
