Rebeca Andrade named athlete of the year in Brazil

After winning Olympic and world gold medals in 2021, Brazilian artistic gymnastics star Rebeca Andrade has another title: athlete of the year.

The 22-year-old was named female athlete of the year Tuesday evening (7 December) by the Brazilian Olympic Committee. Fellow Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Isaquias Queiroz, who struck gold in the men's 1,000m canoe sprint, was the male athlete of the year.

Andrade made history in 2021, becoming the first Brazilian woman to win a medal in artistic gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympic Games when she took silver in the women's all-around final. Days later, she topped that: taking gold on the vault.

Then, two months later at the World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, Andrade didn't let up, adding gold and silver medals on the vault and uneven bars, respectively.

"This moment is very important to me," said Andrade in a pre-recorded acceptance speech. "This year, I managed to achieve all my goals. This year was so amazing. I am grateful to my family, my friends. They encouraged me to continue believing in my dreams. Today, I feel that the award is not just mine, it belongs to all athletes."