ANOC Awards Bring Out Olympic Stars

(ATR) Athletes who stole the show at the Rio Olympics earned another chance in the spotlight at the third annual ANOC Awards on Tuesday.

Highlighted by Olympians Monica Puig and Wayde Van Niekerk, the stars of Rio were honored at the Qatar Convention Center in Doha in front of leaders of the Olympic Movement from around the world.

Van Niekerk and Puig were given Best Male and Female Athletes of the Rio Games honors to begin the evening. Van Niekerk, from South Africa, became the Olympic champion in the 400 meters with a new world record of 43.03 seconds. Puig claimed gold in women’s tennis at Rio, the first ever gold medal for her home country of Puerto Rico.

Click here for photos of the ANOC Awards.

Puig also accepted the Breakthrough NOC award on behalf of the Puerto Rican Olympic Committee along with president Sara Rosario. The Breakthrough NOC award is given to a country that either won its first medal or first gold medal at Rio 2016. Nine countries including Puerto Rico achieved the feat, along with Bahrain, Cote d’Ivoire, Fiji, Jordan, Kosovo, Singapore, Tajikistan and Vietnam.

The Fiji gold was won by its rugby sevens team, whose efforts earned them Best Male Team of the Rio Games award. The Best Female Team award went to the Great Britain Hockey Team for winning Olympic gold in Rio.

Team Great Britain also earned the Most Successful NOC of Rio 2016 award for its 67 medals, an increase from its 65 medals at its home-hosted London 2012 Olympics. IAAF President and British Olympic Association President Sebastian Coe accepted the award.

Brazil’s own Rafaela Lopes Silva won the Most Inspirational Performance award for claiming the host country’s first of seven gold medals at Rio 2016 in judo in the 57 kilogram division. She is the first Brazilian judoka to claim both a world and Olympic championship.

"The Rio 2016 Olympic Games produced many memorable sporting memories created by inspirational athletes from around the world," said ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah. "The athletes and their respective NOCs are at the very heart of every Olympic Games. It is their hard work and commitment that contributes to the success of the Games and it is important these achievements are recognized and honored."

Athletes were not the only ones honored Tuesday evening; individuals who have made positive impacts on international sport were also given awards.

Chef de Mission of the Refugee Olympic Team Tegla Loroupe received the Inspiring Hope through Sport award for leading the Refugee Olympic Team at the Rio Games. The inaugural refugee team gave 10 athletes the ability to make their Olympic dreams a reality.

President of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee Carlos Nuzman was given the Success of Rio 2016 award. Nuzman led the OCOG through a series of challenges that did not diminish the experience of the Games.

The last award of the evening went to Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar and host of the 21st ANOC General Assembly. Sheikh Tamim received the Contributions to the Olympic Movement award for welcoming the world’s sport leaders to Qatar for this week’s assembly. President of the Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani received the award on the Emir’s behalf.

"Tonight has been a fantastic evening for the world’s NOCs, an opportunity to thank and give back to them after all they give to the Olympic Movement," said ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad.

Written by Kevin Nutley in Doha, Qatar.

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