The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) held its annual awards ceremony on Thursday, November 2nd, in Prague, Czech Republic, with several high-profile aquatic athletes receiving honors. The ANOC, whose mission is to ‘strengthen the relationships between the NOCs and the Olympic Family for the benefit of the entire Olympic Movement’, has been presenting awards each year since 2014, with winners decided by an ANOC jury.
“It has been another fantastic year of sport all around the world. We have been lucky enough to witness some incredible sporting moments. The athletes and their respective NOCs and International Federations are at the very heart of the Olympic Movement and it is their dedication that we see year-on-year that helps create the amazing memories we have celebrated tonight,” said ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah.
Below are the swimmers receiving honors during the ceremony:
Best Female Athlete from Africa 2017: Farida Osman (Egypt)
Best Male Athlete from Africa 2017: Chad Le Clos (South Africa)
Best Female Athlete from Europe 2017: Sarah Sjöström (Sweden)
Additionally, Julio Maglione, President of FINA, was recognized with an Outstanding Lifetime Achievement recognition.
You can hear from each of the aforementioned individuals below: