The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) has named open water swimmer Ana Marcela Cunha its 2015 Female Athlete of the Year.
Sprint canoeist Isaquias Queiroz won the men’s award, and another swimmer Thiago Pereira won the fans’ choice award for receiving the most votes on social media.
Cunha won three medals at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia, including a gold medal in the 25km race for the second time in three editions of the meet. She added to that a silver in the team open water event and a bronze in the 10km race – the latter of which is the official Olympic distance and secured her a spot at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in her home country.
Her 5th, 6th, and 7th career World Championship medals in 2015 gives her more than any other South American swimmer in history and more than any other Brazilian female athlete in any Olympic sport.
Pereira, the fan’s choice award, took a silver medal in the 200 IM at the World Championships and added to that three relay gold medals and two minor individual medals at the Pan American Games (a highlight event in the Brazilian sports schedule).
Queiroz, the male winner, is only 21 years old but won the 1000m two-man canoe event at the Canoe Sprint World Championships, plus the 1-man 200m and 1000m events at the Pan American Games.
