Diogo Cancela, a student-athlete at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, has been honoured with the Adaptive Sports Award at the 28th edition of the Portuguese Sports Confederation Gala, held at the Maria Matos Theatre in Lisbon.
Cancela, who won the bronze medal in the 200-metre medley at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, was named Athlete of the Year in the adaptive sports category.
Born in Coimbra, he represents the Louzan Swimming Club [Associação Louzan Natação] and was one of the flag bearers for the Portuguese delegation in Paris. He has already earned multiple medals at European and World Championships, and is coached by Gonçalo Neves and Vítor Ferreira.
The award recognises Cancela's outstanding sporting achievements and his contribution to raising awareness and promoting adaptive sport in Portugal.