Crete, Greece, October 24, 2021: Japan was the big winner in the seventh edition of the ANOC Awards 2021 at the Creta Maris Beach Resort on Sunday evening.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games hosts won two awards – the men’s baseball team in the men’s team award and the Japanese Olympic Committee in the Outstanding National Olympic Committee of Tokyo 2020.
Three more Asian NOCs were recognized in the Breakthrough Award – Philippines and Qatar for winning their first gold medal in Olympic Games history and Turkmenistan for winning their first medal at an Olympics.
The ANOC Awards winners for 2021 are:
Best Female Multiple Athlete Event of Tokyo 2020: Estonia Fencing Épée Team
Best Male Multiple Athlete Event of Tokyo 2020: Italy Cycling-Track Team Pursuit
Best Female Team of Tokyo 2020: New Zealand Rugby Sevens
Best Male Team of Tokyo 2020: Japan Baseball
Best Female Athlete of Tokyo 2020: Maggie Mac Neil (Canada, swimming)
Best Male Athlete of Tokyo 2020: Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya, athletics)
Outstanding Athlete Performance: Mijaín López (Cuba, Greco-Roman wrestling)
Outstanding NOC of Tokyo 2020: Japanese Olympic Committee
Contribution to the Olympic Movement: John Coates
The six ANOC Diploma for Breakthrough NOCs recipients included:
Philippine Olympic Committee – Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz made history by winning the women’s 55 kg category to become the first Olympic gold medallist from the Philippines.
Qatar Olympic Committee – Fares Elbakh won his country’s first ever Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 and, shortly after, high jump star Mutaz Essa Barshim claimed Qatar’s second gold in what was one of the most memorable moments of Tokyo 2020 as he shared the gold medal with Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi.
NOC Turkmenistan – Tokyo 2020 saw Turkmenistan win its first Olympic medal when Polina Guryeva won silver in the women’s weightlifting 59 kg category.
The winners of each award were selected by the ANOC Jury, comprised of representatives from each of the Continental Associations, the ANOC Athletes’ Commission Chair, ASOIF President and ANOC Secretary General.
Source: www.anocolympic.org
