MARCA Honors Top Athletes: Comaneci, Klaebo and Ricky Rubio Among the Winners. The MARCA ADN Awards ceremony took place in Madrid, with Nadia Comaneci, Johannes Klaebo, and the Ricky Rubio Foundation among the recipients. Special recognition was given to the achievements of both Spanish and international athletes.
The second MARCA ADN awards ceremony was held in Madrid, marking the 50th anniversary of Nadia Comaneci's historic performance at the Montreal Olympics. The organizers honored not only the legendary Romanian gymnast herself, but also a number of outstanding athletes, including skier Johannes Klaebo and the Fundación Ricky Rubio. The event took place at Finca Astilbe and brought together leading figures from the sports community.
At the beginning of the evening, attention was focused on gymnastics: Ray Zapata presented the first award to Nadia Comaneci, while Almudena Cid honored Saúl Craviotto, the multiple Olympic medalist in canoeing. Spanish football was also in the spotlight: the men's national team's 2010 World Cup win and the women's 2023 victory were celebrated. The awards for these achievements went to Joan Capdevila and Ivana Andrés, and were presented by Rafael Fernández de Alarcón, Brand Director at Telefónica.
Winter sports did not go unnoticed: President of the Spanish Olympic Committee Alejandro Blanco presented awards to Oriol Cardona and Ana Alonso, while Marta Sarabia from CaixaBank recognized Audrey Pascual's achievements at the Paralympic Games. Young talents were also acknowledged: pilot Manu González and tennis player Rafa Jódar received their awards after successful performances in international tournaments.
A special place in the program was given to the Fundación Ricky Rubio, which received the MARCA Laureus Sport for Good Honour. Ricky Rubio himself could not attend due to a busy schedule, but his father Esteve spoke about the foundation's social initiatives. Among the awardees was also Unai Emery, Aston Villa's coach, who was honored by Milagros Tolón, Minister of Education, Vocational Training, and Sports. That evening also celebrated other renowned Spanish coaches who achieved success in recent weeks.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the MARCA Leyenda award to Johannes Klaebo, who this year won six gold medals on the Tesero tracks, bringing his total to 11 gold, one silver, and one bronze medals. The prize was presented to him by Laura Múgica and Juan Ignacio Gallardo, and the Norwegian Ambassador to Spain, Lars Andersen, came to support the athlete. As a surprise, a video message was shown from Atlético striker Alexander Sorloth, a close friend of Klaebo.
The MARCA ADN awards are becoming a significant event for Spain's sports community, bringing together representatives of different disciplines and generations. In this context, it is worth noting that sports awards and recognition of achievements often become a topic of discussion not only within professional circles but also among the general public. For example, interest in sporting events remains consistently high, as illustrated by the attention given to international tournaments, such as the recent Roland Garros final, covered by russpain.com in the article about Alexander Zverev's performance in the final against Cobolli. Ceremonies like MARCA ADN highlight the importance of sport for national identity and maintain interest in new achievements.
