Caio Bonfim and Maria Clara Pacheco Shine at 2025 Prêmio Brasil Olímpico Awards
Caio Bonfim and Maria Clara Pacheco were honored as top athletes at the 2025 Prêmio Brasil Olímpico, highlighting their outstanding 2025 achievements and Brazil's diverse sporting talent.
- • Caio Bonfim won Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year, highlighted by his 2025 World Athletics Championship gold medal.
- • Maria Clara Pacheco was named Best Female Athlete for ending a 20-year Brazilian drought in taekwondo world championships.
- • Gianetti Bonfim, Caio’s mother and coach, received Best Coach of the Year.
- • The rhythmic gymnastics team was honored as Team of the Year for their historic World Championship medals.
Key details
The 2025 Prêmio Brasil Olímpico, held in Rio de Janeiro, celebrated the exceptional achievements of Brazil's top athletes, with Caio Bonfim and Maria Clara Pacheco taking center stage. Caio Bonfim, a leading race walker from Sobradinho, was named Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive time, marking a rare back-to-back victory. He earned this honor following a stellar 2025 season, highlighted by his gold medal performance in the 20km race walk at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where he also secured silver in the 35km event.
Bonfim’s success is deeply rooted in family support; his mother and coach, Gianetti Bonfim, received the Best Coach award, recognizing her two decades of dedication to athletics and her role in nurturing Caio’s career. Gianetti, who manages the Centro de Marcha Atlética de Sobradinho, commented on the pride of representing Brazilian women in athletics and welcomed the upcoming 2026 Campeonato Mundial de Marcha Atlética to be hosted in Brasília—a historic first for Latin America.
Maria Clara Pacheco was honored as the Best Female Athlete for her groundbreaking achievements in taekwondo, becoming the first Brazilian woman to win a world championship in the sport since 2005. Her multiple gold medals in 2025 ended a 20-year drought for Brazilian women in taekwondo.
The ceremony also recognized the rhythmic gymnastics team as Team of the Year for their historic medal wins at the World Championships, as well as rising young talents such as Davi Souza de Lima and Clarisse Vallim. The awards spanned 56 sports, reflecting Brazil's diverse athletic talent pool.
Caio expressed heartfelt gratitude toward his parents and wife, crediting their support for his continued success. He stands as one of only three athletes to win the Athlete of the Year award twice consecutively, outperforming other notable competitors like Henrique Marques in taekwondo and table tennis star Hugo Calderano. The event also introduced new award categories, further celebrating Brazil’s sporting excellence across disciplines.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.