The British Olympic Association has this evening been named the Most Successful National Olympic Committee of the Year at the 2016 Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) General Assembly.
The ANOC Awards also saw British success in the Women’s Team of the Year category, with Team GB’s women’s hockey team recognised following their gold medal success at Rio 2016.
The 2016 edition of the awards, held at the ANOC General Assembly in Doha, celebrated and honoured the best sporting achievements from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Representatives from 205 NOCs have joined IOC President Thomas Bach in Doha this week for the General Assembly.
Team GB returned home from Rio with 67 medals, its best ever at an Olympic Games on foreign soil, and a second place finish in the medal table. The team made history in Brazil by becoming the first NOC to win more medals in the Games immediately after hosting following a haul of 65 medals at London 2012.
“It is a huge honour for Team GB to receive the ANOC Award for the most successful NOC of Rio 2016. This adds to what has already been a memorable year for Team GB.
“Tonight offers us the opportunity to reflect on the 2016 Olympic Games and the remarkable 67 medals won by Team GB. That feat created history as we became the first nation ever to win more medals at a Games immediately after hosting, surpassing our achievement of 65 medals at London 2012.
“Thank you to the ANOC for hosting an excellent event and to the Qatari National Olympic Committee for their generous hospitality.”
Team GB’s women’s hockey team secured its first ever Olympic gold after a penalty shootout victory over defending champions The Netherlands. The team won all eight of their matches at Rio 2016.
: “It is an honour to be in the company of so many inspiring people at the ANOC Gala Awards and Team GB’s women’s hockey team are thrilled to be the recipients of the ANOC Women’s Team of the Year Award.
“It has been an unbelievable year for us, returning home from Rio as Olympic champions and the first ever GB women’s hockey team to win Olympic gold was an amazing feeling and an achievement we are all incredibly proud of.”
“It’s a fantastic achievement for both the women’s hockey team and the whole of the British Olympic Association. We’ve had an incredible year, returning home from Rio with 67 medals and a second place finish in the table and to cap it all off being awarded the number one NOC in the world here at the ANOC Awards. It has a been a terrific effort from everyone involved.”