Thiago Pereira, Ryan Pini Win Honors From Association of National Olympic Committees

Jul 18, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Thiago Pereira of Brazil poses with his silver medal after the men's swimming 200m individual medley final during the 2015 Pan Am Games at Pan Am Aquatics UTS Centre and Field House. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

Photo Courtesy: Erich Schlegel/USA Today Sports Images

Earlier this week, the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) met in Washington, D.C. to outline future agendas and to award the top athletes in each of this year’s continental championships.

Among the winners were two swimmers: Brazil’s Thiago Pereira and Papua New Guinea’s Ryan Pini. Pereira earned the honor as the top male athlete from the Pan American Games, while Pini was awarded the top male athlete of the South Pacific Games.

Pereira likely competed in his final Pan American Games last July, which was his fifth appearance at the meet that brings together athletes from the American continents and Caribbean nations. Pereira won five medals in Toronto this year, bringing his career Pan American Games medal total to 23. That’s the most any athlete in any sport has won, beating the former record of 22 by Cuban gymnast Erick Lopez.

Though the award, recommended by Brazil’s Olympic Committee, focused on Pereira’s performances at the Pan American Games, Pereira also shined a few weeks later at the world championships. He won a silver medal in the 200 IM, his best performance in the meet across four long course worlds appearances.

Pini has been largely out of the spotlight for a few years, but continues to shine for Papua New Guinea. A finalist in the 100 butterfly at the 2008 Olympics, Pini shined this year at the South Pacific Games in his native country, collecting seven gold medals among 11 total. Pini competed in the 50 and 100 butterfly events at the world championships in August, placing 30th overall in both races.

Swimming had more star power at the awards ceremony, as Olympic champions Katie Ledecky, Kirsty Coventry and Ryan Lochte were on hand to present awards.

The ANOC’s meeting pushed the Olympic 2020 agenda, which sought to create a worldwide Olympic television channel, support a no-tolerance drug policy and improve governance in each nation’s Olympic committees.

Full list of winners:
• Best Male Athlete of the African Games 2015: Franck Elemba (Athletics), from Comité National Olympique et Sportif Congolais
• Best Female Athlete of the African Games 2015: Marie-Josée Ta Lou (Athletics), from the Comité National Olympique de Côte d’Ivoire
• Best Male Athlete of the Pan American Games 2015: Thiago Pereira (Swimming), from the Comitê Olímpico Brasileiro
• Best Female Athlete of the Pan American Games 2015: Kim Rhode (Shooting), from the United States Olympic Committee
• Best Male Athlete of the Asian Games 2014: Femi Seun Oguonde (Athletics), from the Qatar Olympic Committee
• Best Female Athlete of the Asian Games 2014: Yao Jinnan (Gymnastics), from the Chinese Olympic Committee
• Best Male Athlete of the European Games 2015: Togrul Asgarov (Wrestling), from the National Olympic Committee of the Azerbaijani Republic
• Best Female Athlete of the European Games 2015: Katie Taylor (Boxing), from the Olympic Council of Ireland
• Best Male Athlete of the Pacific Games 2015: Ryan Pini (Swimming), from the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee Inc
• Best Female Athlete of the Pacific Games 2015: Jennifer Chieng (Boxing) Federated States of Micronesia National Olympic Committee
• ANOC Award for Outstanding Performance: Bob Beamon (USA)
• ANOC Award for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement: Francesco Ricci Bitti (Italy)
• ANOC Award for Contribution to the Olympic Movement: IOC President Thomas Bach (Germany)

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