Multiple Paralympic champion Gabriel Araújo, known as Gabrielzinho, won the Laureus World Sports Award on Monday (Apr. 20) during a ceremony at the Cibeles Palace in Madrid, Spain. The 23-year-old Brazilian swimmer beat five other nominees in the Best Athlete with a Disability category.

Gabrielzinho was the only Brazilian honored at the 26th edition of the Laureus Awards, considered the Oscars of international sports. Nominated in other categories, his compatriots João Fonseca (tennis), Rayssa Leal (skateboarding), and Yago Dora (swimming) were not selected this year by the Laureus World Sports Academy, whose jury is composed of 55 renowned athletes.

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“I would like to thank God and my family for everything we are building. Being here is a dream come true for me. I thank my coach [Fábio Antunes] for his support. This is the first of many; we will continue to make history,” said Gabrielzinho, receiving a standing ovation as he accepted the trophy.

Last year, he became a three-time world champion in Singapore, winning the 50- and 100-meter backstroke and the 200-meter S2 class (physical-motor impairment). And that wasn’t all: Gabrielzinho also broke the world record in the 150-meter individual medley. A swimming icon, he has stood on the podium six times across the last two Paralympic Games, winning three gold medals in Paris 2024 and two golds and a silver in Tokyo 2020.

Gabrielzinho won the 2026 Laureus Award after beating five competitors in the Laureus World Sports Academy vote: swimmers Simone Barlaam (Italy) and David Kratochvíl (Czech Republic); track and field athletes Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland) and Kiara Rodríguez (Ecuador); and ice hockey player Kelsey DiClaudio (United States).

Before Gabrielzinho, São Paulo swimmer Daniel Dias had already won the Laureus Award for Best Athlete with a Disability in 2009, 2013, and 2016.

Other Brazilian nominees

Skateboarder Rayssa Leal and surfer Yago Dora competed for the Laureus Award for Best Action Sports Athlete, along with four other athletes from other countries. The winner in the category was American snowboarder Chloe Kim. Tennis player João Fonseca was nominated for the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award, which included five other nominees. The winner was British Formula 1 driver Lando Norris.

Brazilian surfing has six representatives in the round of 16 at the Australian Margaret River event, the second stop on the World Surf League (WSL) tour. In the opening round on Thursday (Apr. 16), Gabriel Medina, Yago Dora, Ítalo Ferreira, João Chianca, and brothers Miguel and Samuel Pupo advanced.

Three other Brazilians made an early exit from Margaret River: Matheus Herdy, Filipe Toledo, and Alejo Muniz. In total, the WSL features 36 surfers in the men’s competition and 24 in the women’s.

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The first to qualify, Samuel Pupo scored 15.50 (the sum of his two highest waves) against American Cole Houshmand (11.60). In the round of 16, he will face American Kanoa Igarashi.

In the seventh heat, three-time world champion Gabriel Medina dominated Mexico’s Alan Cleland. After finishing third at the Bells Beach event last week, Medina scored 13.16 to Cleland’s 8.50. His next opponent will be host Jack Robinson, a two-time winner of the event in 2024.

Brazilian Yago Dora, the current world champion, came out on top in his debut against Australian Jacob Willcox, scoring 13.67 to 12.93 in heat 9. Dora will face Australian-Japanese surfer Connor O’Leary in the round of 16.

In heat 11, two-time world champion Ítalo Ferreira (13.47) had a thrilling battle against Morocco’s Ramzi Boukhiam (13.33) and emerged victorious. The margin was just 0.14 points. The round of 16 will be an all-Brazilian matchup: Ítalo will face João Chianca, who advanced in the next heat by defeating American Jake Marshall 12.70 to 12.00.

The last Brazilian in action at Margaret River, Miguel Pupo, the ranking leader after his title at Bells Beach, easily defeated Australian Morgan Cibilic with a score of 12.83 to 6.90. In the round of 16, he will face another local surfer: Ethan Ewing.

Brazil also has Luana Silva competing in the women’s division. She will make her debut directly in round 2 against local favorite Sophie McCulloch.