The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) on Wednesday (3/12) announced the nominees for the Athlete of the Year Award, the main category for Brazil’s 2025 Olympic Award. The award winners will be announced during the Brazilian Sports Gala, which will be held on December 11, in Cidade das Artes, in Rio de Janeiro.
The entity confirmed that those selected represent the most prominent aspects of Brazilian sports this season.
“It’s time to meet the eight contenders for the Best Athlete and Athlete of the Year awards at the Olímpico Brasil awards ceremony. They are names that have shone, moved and raised the level of Brazilian Olympic sport in 2025,” the Brazilian Football Confederation said on social media.
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For the general manager, Emmanuel Rigo, this is a dispute between two strong rivals.
“The PBO is a tribute to the best performances of Brazilian athletes this year. Everyone showed great performances. Among the best results in all Olympic sports there are those who made their names in history this season. When we looked at the list of the best, it was easy to identify that these eight athletes, from seven different Olympic sports, had a great tournament for 2025 and showed the diversity of Team Brazil.”
The list includes some of the most influential and decisive athletes of this tournament, who have excelled in international competitions and strengthened Brazil’s position on the global sporting scene. Among the candidates are:
Female category
Gaby Guimarães – Brazilian volleyball reference Maria Clara – Taekwondo star Raisa Leal – Medalist and world skating icon Rebecca Lima – Brazilian boxing powerhouse
Men’s category
Caio Bonfim – Racewalking champion Henrique Márquez – A powerful name in taekwondo Hugo Calderano – Table tennis star Iago Dora – One of the greatest surfers today