Venezuela’s 23-year-old Andreina Pinto has been honored with her country’s Golden Generation Olympic Heroine Award for 2014. The award, one for male/one for female, is designed to recognize those who have “achieved significant international success”, while also demonstrating a commitment to sport development.
According to the Golden Generation Awards site, in addition to the being nominated by coaches, associations, media, etc., any Venezuelan citizen may nominate an athlete, coach, team, or achievement in the goal of selecting a winner who best demonstrates the perseverance and success in representing Venezuela in sports around the world.
Pinto‘s commanding performances at two international events in particular this past year set her on the right course to earn the votes of the federations, association, clubs, coaches, athletes, and the general population who comprised the online voting base.
Earlier in the year at the South American Games, Pinto won a trifecta of freestyles, coming away with gold in the 200m, 400m, and 800m freestyle events, as well as the 200m butterfly and 400m IM events. Later in 2014, Pinto would do similar damage at the Central American and Caribbean Games, where she swam those same 5 events, but also added a sixth gold in the 200m IM.
The equivalent male winner of the award was Marvin Blanco, a distance runner and steeplechase standout.