With less than two years to go until the Rio 2016 Games, Arthur Zanetti and the duo Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze have won the Brazilian Olympic Athletes of 2014 awards. At a glitzy ceremony organised by the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) on Tuesday night (16 December) at the Theatro Municipal in the centre Rio de Janeiro, artistic gymnast Flavia Saraiva was also recognised, by popular vote, as the ‘fans’ choice’.

In the women’s category, Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (sailing) beat off competition from Ana Marcela Cunha (marathon swimming) and Mayra Aguiar (judo).

For Grael and Kunze, 2014 was a golden year. The duo won the 49er FX class at the Sailing World Championships in Santander, Spain, and also finished first in the Garda Trentino Olympic Week in Italy, as well as the Hyeres and Palma de Mallorca phases of the World Cup.  They also won the Aquece Rio International Sailing Regatta, the first Rio 2016 test event, and were voted female World Sailors of the Year.

In the men’s category, Arthur Zanetti (artistic gymnastics) came out on top ahead of  Marcus Vinicius d'Almeida (archery) and Tiago Splitter (basketball).

In 2014, Zanetti won medals at several international competitions. In addition to earning silver at the world championships in Nanning, China, he also took home four gold medals: from the International Meeting in Santos, Brazil; the Santiago 2014 South American Games; the Artistic Gymnastics Pan-American Championship in Mississauga, Canada; and the World Cup in Anadia, Portugal.

Lais de Souza (left) presented the fans' choice award to Flavia Saraiva (Photo: Bruno Miani/Inovafoto/COB)

In a change from previous years, when the main winners were voted for by the public, this year’s winners were chosen by a panel of journalists, sports administrators, former athletes and sports personalities.

Only the ‘fans’ choice’ was elected by the public, via voting on the COB website, Twitter and Facebook. Flavia Saraiva beat 11 other shortlisted athletes:  Aline Silva (freestyle wrestling), Cesar Cielo (swimming), Diego Hypolito (artistic gymnastics),  Isaquias Queiroz (canoe sprint), Matheus Santana (swimming), Marcus Vinicius D'Almeida (archery), Mayra Aguiar (judo), Sheilla Castro (volleyball) and Tiago Splitter (basketball), and the duos Larissa and Talita (beach volleyball) and Martine Grael and Kunze Kahena (sailing).

Former marathon runner Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima received the Adhemar Ferreira da Silva Trophy, which recognises athletes who demonstrate the positive values of sports. Vanderlei was responsible for one of the most memorable moments in Olympic history, when he was grabbed by a spectator while leading the marathon at Athens 2004 Games, but still won the bronze medal.

Two foreigners were elected best coaches of 2014. In the individual category, the Spaniard Jesús Morlan, who helped Isaquías Queiroz become world champion in canoe sprint, was honoured.  In the team category, the award went to the Dane Morten Soubak, who led the Brazilian women’s handball team to the world title at the end of 2013.

The following athletes also received awards for their performances in 43 Olympic sports:

Athletics  – Fabiana Murer

Badminton  – Lohaynny Vicente

Basketball  – Tiago Splitter

Boxing  – Robson Conceição

Canoe Slalom  – Ana Sátila

Canoe Sprint  – Isaquias Queiróz

BMX Cycling  – Renato Rezende

Road Cycling  – Rafael Andriato

Mountain Bike  – Henrique Avancini

Track Cycling  – Flavio Cipriano

Snow Sports  – Isabel Clark

Ice Sports  – Isadora Williams

Fencing  – Renzo Agresta

Football  – Neymar Junior

Artistic Gymnastics – Arhtur Zanetti

Gymnastics (Trampoline) – Camila Lopes Gomes

Rhythmic Gymnastics  – Angélica Kvieczynski

Golf – Rafael Becker

Handball  – Eduarda Amorim

Equestrian Dressage  – João Victor Oliva

Equestrian Eventing  – Márcio Jorge Carvalho

Equestrian Jumping  – Álvaro Affonso de Miranda Neto (Doda)

Hockey  – Bruno Mendonça

Judo  – Mayra Aguiar

Weightlifting  – Fernando Reis

Wrestling  – Aline da Silva Ferreira

Marathon Swimming  – Ana Marcela Cunha

Synchronised Swimming  – Giovana Stephan

Swimming  – Matheus Santana

Modern Pentathlon  – Yane Marques

Water Polo  – Felipe Perrone

Rowing  – Fabiana Murer

Rugby  – Julia Sardá

Diving  – Cesar Castro

Taekwondo  – Edival Marques (Netinho)

Tennis  – Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares

Table Tennis  – Hugo Calderano

Archery  – Marcus Vinícius D´Almeida

Shooting  – Rodrigo Bastos

Triathlon  – Pâmela Oliveira

Sailing  – Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze

Beach Volleyball  – Juliana and Maria Elisa

Volleyball  – Fabiana Claudino