#ANOCAwards2021

ANOC NEWS: ANOC Awards 2021 Honors Best Athletes of Tokyo 2020

Monday, October 25, 2021 - 12:10 By United World Wrestling Press

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CRETE, Greece (October 25) --- Wrestling's Mijain LOPEZ (CUB) was honored on Sunday night at the ANOC Awards 2021. The Cuban Giant earned the Outstanding Athlete Performance award for becoming the first-ever male wrestler to win four Olympic titles. ANOC News provided a breakdown of Sunday night's award winners.

A breathtaking ANOC Awards 2021 ceremony took place at the Creta Maris Beach Resort tonight, with the world coming together in celebration of some of the leading names in Olympic sport.

The athletes who shone at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 earlier this year were recognised for their inspiring performances. The best female and male athletes, as well as the best female and male teams from team sports were honoured, whilst an outstanding athlete performance was announced. Additionally, female and male award categories were introduced for the best multiple athlete event, which recognises outstanding collective performances by more than one athlete in sports that can also be practiced individually. Finally, there were awards for the outstanding National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Tokyo 2020 and for individual contribution to the Olympic Movement.

The ANOC Awards winners for 2021 are:

  • Best Female Multiple Athlete Event of Tokyo 2020: Estonia Fencing Épée Team
  • Best Male Multiple Athlete Event of Tokyo 2020: Italy Cycling-Track Team Pursuit
  • Best Female Team of Tokyo 2020: New Zealand Rugby Sevens
  • Best Male Team of Tokyo 2020: Japan Baseball
  • Best Female Athlete of Tokyo 2020: Maggie Mac Neil
  • Best Male Athlete of Tokyo 2020: Eliud Kipchoge
  • Outstanding Athlete Performance: Mijaín López
  • Outstanding NOC of Tokyo 2020: Japanese Olympic Committee
  • Contribution to the Olympic Movement: John Coates

The ANOC Awards was created to show appreciation to NOCs and their athletes for their dedication to the Olympic Movement and for promoting the Olympic values all year round. During the ceremony, Diplomas were presented to the breakthrough NOCs that had historic sporting moments at Tokyo 2020.

The ANOC Diploma for Breakthrough NOCs recipients are:

  • Bermuda Olympic Association – Triathlete Flora Duffy became Olympic champion, in doing so making Bermuda the smallest country by population to win a gold medal.
  • Philippine Olympic Committee – Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz made history by winning the women’s 55 kg category to become the first Olympic gold medallist from the Philippines.
  • Qatar Olympic Committee – Fares Elbakh won his country’s first ever Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 and shortly after, high jump star Mutaz Essa Barshim claimed Qatar’s second gold in what was one of the most memorable moments of Tokyo 2020, as he shared the gold medal with Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi.
  • Burkina Faso National Olympic Committee – Hugues Fabrice Zango became the country’s first Olympic bronze medallist as he claimed third spot in the men’s triple jump.
  • San Marino National Olympic Committee – It was a Games to remember for San Marino. At the start of play, they had never reached an Olympic podium, but by the end of the Games they had won one silver and one bronze.
  • National Olympic Committee of Turkmenistan – Tokyo 2020 saw Turkmenistan win its first Olympic medal, when Polina Guryeva won silver in the women’s weightlifting 59 kg category.

In addition to the ANOC Awards, the Hellenic Olympic Committee dedicated an award to the Best Greek Athlete of Tokyo 2020. Greek Deputy Sports Minister Lefteris Avgenakis presented Tokyo 2020 long jump champion Miltiadis Tentoglou with the award, following his stunning gold medal winning performance at the Games.

Representatives from 155 of the 205 NOCs were joined in-person by other stakeholders throughout the Olympic Movement for a spectacular seventh edition of the ANOC Award, with many others tuning in online. Athletes, NOCs and International Federations were all actively engaged in the ANOC Awards across all social media platforms throughout the evening, as the global celebration demonstrated how shared sporting values continue to unite different countries and cultures.

The awards ceremony was shown live by Greek broadcaster ERT. The event was also streamed live on the ANOC YouTube Channel, ensuring the whole sporting world was able to enjoy captivating mix of sport and culture.

Click the link to read more on the ANOC Olympic site...ANOC Awards 2021 Honors Best Athletes of Tokyo 2020 

2026 Muhamet Malo

Lolua Bumps to 60kg, Komarov Among World Champs Returning in Tirana

Monday, February 23, 2026 - 19:19 By Vinay Siwach

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TIRANA, Albania (February 23) -- Last year, Vakhtang LOLUA (GEO) was in Tirana, making his senior international debut. He went on to win the 55kg silver medal at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series event.

What followed was an incredible 2025 season for Lolua in which he became a world champion in Zagreb. He also won bronze medals at the European Championships, and U20 World and European Championships.

The world champion at 55kg is returning to Tirana, making his Olympic weight debut at 60kg later this week at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series, which begins February 25.

While he got two wins last year to reach the final, where he lost to Emre MUTLU (TUR), Lolua will need to spend more time on the mat if he wants to wrestle for the gold medal.

The field at 60kg is no pushover, with several experienced contenders entered.

The 18-year-old will face the likes of European champion Nihat MAMMADLI (AZE), silver medalist Georgij TIBILOV (SRB), former U20 world champion Nihad GULUZADE (AZE), former U17 world champion SURAJ (IND) and compatriot Dimitri KHACHIDZE (GEO).

The Georgian has the par terre offense to win, as he showed in Zagreb. He tricked Payam AHMADI (IRI) in the final with two different par terre turns. However, he also keeps his matches tight. At the World Championships, he won only one of his four bouts by a margin of two points or more.

 

Mammadli presents his first major tactical test. He was in red-hot form in 2025 but fell off in the later half of the year. He lost his World Championships quarterfinal to Alisher GANIEV (UZB), who also defeated him at the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2025.

Guluzade and Tibilov pose a different challenge. The latter is an experienced campaigner, who often shuns big-move wrestling for tactical wins. Guluzade will bring raw energy, trying to prove his mettle before the European Championships.

Suraj, who defeated Victor CIOBANU (MDA), constantly works on his opponents for six minutes, which can put anyone's conditioning to the test.

Like at 60kg, Georgia and Azerbaijan have multiple wrestlers in other weight classes as well. Many other nations are also increasingly focusing on selecting their teams via results at Ranking Series events.

At 67kg, Georgia has Zagreb Open champion Diego CHKHIKVADZE (GEO) and European bronze medalist Joni KHETSURIANI (GEO) going against each other. Khetsuriani has not wrestled since finishing 22nd at the World Championships in September.

The challenges will not be limited. U20 world champion Erzu ZAKRIEV (UWW) will make his senior debut in Tirana. He has impressed with his dominant performances in 2024 when he won the U20 gold. In 2025, he finished with a silver, losing a close final.

A minefield at 87kg will see the return of world champion Aleksandr KOMAROV (SRB). He will face top wrestlers from Hungary, Azerbaijan, UWW wrestlers and Kazakhstan.

Komarov rose to the occasion at the World Championships in Zagreb with an incredible run, winning gold over Olympic silver medalist Alireza MOHMADI (IRI). He will look to reset in Tirana.

World bronze medalist Asan ZHANYSHOV (KGZ) has constantly improved and a good performance in Tirana at 87kg will do him a world of good. Milad ALIRZAEV (UWW), Islam ALIEV (UWW) and Alan OSTAEV (UWW) are a trio of UWW wrestlers in the field. Alirzaev and Ostaev have wins over Komarov in the past.

Islam ABBASOV (AZE) and Lachin VALIYEV (AZE) are leading the challenge for Azerbaijan while Istvan TAKACS (HUN), who won gold at the Zagreb Open, will be another top wrestler.

Shamil OZHAEV (KAZ), Islam YEVLOYEV (KAZ) and Azat SALIDINOV (KAZ) are three Kazakhstan wrestlers looking to make a mark as well.

A similar story will play out at 97kg with world silver medalist Artur SARGSIAN (UWW) eyeing his second Ranking Series gold medal. Standing in his way are Zagreb Open champion Alex SZOKE (HUN), world bronze medalist Kiryl MASKEVICH (UWW), Paris bronze medalist Uzur DZHUZUPBEKOV (KGZ), former world bronze medalist Artur OMAROV (CZE).

Azerbaijan is sending three wrestlers at 97kg in hopes of finalizing its European lineup with world bronze medalists Murad AHMADIYEV (AZE) and Arif NIFTULLAYEV (AZE), and Mahammad AHMADIYEV (AZE).

At 77kg, Hungary is once again pitting Robert FRITSCH (HUN) against Zoltan LEVAI (HUN). In Zagreb, Levai won silver while Fritsch won bronze as both lost to Ali OKSOU (IRI).

Iran, which has its own struggles at this weight class, has also gone with two wrestlers, Alireza ABDEVALI (IRI) and Amir ABDI (IRI).

U23 world champion Alexandrin GUTU (MDA) is returning to action, hoping to win his first Ranking Series gold medal. Gutu has given legendary performances at the age-group level but is yet to win a medal at the senior World or European Championships.

Imran ALIEV (UWW), Evgenii BAIDUSOV (UWW) and Sergei STEPANOV (UWW) will also be involved at 77kg as they try to confirm their spot for the European Championships.

Olympic rematch at 82kg

Demeu ZHADRAYEV (KAZ) rocked his neighbouring country Kyrgyzstan at the Paris Olympic when he defeated the favorite and world champion Akzhol MAKHMUDOV (KGZ). Kyrgyzstan was hoping that Makhmudov would create history by becoming the country's first-ever Olympic champion.

Both have gradually returned to action. In Tirana, both are entered at 82kg and it won't be a surprise if they clash as well. However, Makhmudov would like to avenge that Paris loss.

Also at 82kg are Gela BOLKVADZE (GEO) and comeback man and former world medalist Viktor NEMES (SRB).

Iran is bringing a small squad in Tirana but it made sure to bring Fardin HEDAYATI (IRI), perhaps the best heavyweight Greco wrestler in the world. The 130kg gold will, most likely, be his.