2021 Paralympic Sport Awards: Best Female nominees

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced the athletes who have made the shortlist in the Best Female category for the 2021 Paralympic Sport Awards, recognising the achievements from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

The winner will be announced at the Awards Ceremony, which will be streamed live on the IPC’s YouTube Channel and Facebook page at 4pm CET on 16 December. ‘A Winning Mindset’ Paralympic podcast host Andy Stevenson and Australian Paralympic swimming legend Ellie Cole will host the Ceremony.

The shortlist for the Best Female category is as follows:

Dame Sarah Storey (Great Britain)
Storey won three golds from three events in Tokyo, competing in cycling track and road events. The 43-year-old became Great Britain’s most decorated Paralympian with 17 golds. It was also the fourth Games she set a world record at.

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Diede de Groot (Netherlands)
Won the Tokyo 2020 women's singles and doubles titles without dropping a set in either competition. She became the first wheelchair tennis player to complete the calendar Golden Slam (winning all four Grand Slam titles and the Paralympic gold medal).

Susana Rodriguez (Spain)
The triple world champion had won every title in Para triathlon except one. This all changed in Tokyo as she won gold in the triathlon PTVI, her first Paralympic medal. Rodriguez was celebrated for her role as a doctor in the pandemic in Spain and appeared on front cover of Time in July.

Winners will be announced across the following categories: Best Female, Best Male, Best Team, Best Female Debut, Best Male Debut and Best Official.

In addition to these six awards, the bp Courage Award will also be presented on 16 December recognising an athlete who best displayed the Paralympic value of courage at Tokyo 2020.