Nadia Comăneci scores another Perfect 10 and Ricky Rubio's off-court impact are celebrated at MARCA Legend Awards
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The Olympic legend received a Lifetime Achievement Award and also presented the Laureus MARCA Sport for Good Honour to the game-changing foundation of an NBA superstar.
Less than two months after receiving the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award, Nadia Comăneci was back in the global spotlight at the MARCA Legend Awards. Fifty years on from the first Perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics, Comăneci didn’t just receive the MARCA Lifetime Achievement Award, she set the tone for the entire event.
Laureus Sport for Good and MARCA have a long and impactful partnership and the presence on stage of a Laureus World Sports Academy Member was only one of the ways that partnership was celebrated at the event, staged at Finca Astilbe in Madrid.
The Laureus MARCA Sport for Good Honour was presented to the Ricky Rubio Foundation, with Esteve Rubio – father of the former NBA star Ricky – receiving the honour from Comăneci and Sean Fitzpatrick, the Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy.
The theme of the ceremony was ‘10’ in honour of a true landmark in world sporting history – Comăneci’s performance at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, where, aged just 14, she captured the hearts of sports fans all over the world with a series of performances that reshaped her sport and the global reach of the Games in the age of communication.
Laureus World Sports Academy Member Nadia Comăneci said: “Since that little girl walked onto the mat in Canada all those years ago, the idea of 10, of perfection, has been something I have thought about quite a bit. Today, being here to receive this wonderful honour is perfect. However, when I think about the work of the Ricky Rubio Foundation, about the lives it has changed and saved – maybe we need another number for that! Both Laureus and MARCA believe in the power sport has to change the world and Ricky’s foundation has been doing that for years.”
Laureus Sport for Good and MARCA have a long and impactful partnership and the presence on stage of a Laureus World Sports Academy Member was only one of the ways that partnership was celebrated at the event, staged at Finca Astilbe in Madrid.
The Laureus MARCA Sport for Good Honour was presented to the Ricky Rubio Foundation, with Esteve Rubio – father of the former NBA star Ricky – receiving the honour from Comăneci and Sean Fitzpatrick, the Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy.
The theme of the ceremony was ‘10’ in honour of a true landmark in world sporting history – Comăneci’s performance at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, where, aged just 14, she captured the hearts of sports fans all over the world with a series of performances that reshaped her sport and the global reach of the Games in the age of communication.
Laureus World Sports Academy Member Nadia Comăneci said: “Since that little girl walked onto the mat in Canada all those years ago, the idea of 10, of perfection, has been something I have thought about quite a bit. Today, being here to receive this wonderful honour is perfect. However, when I think about the work of the Ricky Rubio Foundation, about the lives it has changed and saved – maybe we need another number for that! Both Laureus and MARCA believe in the power sport has to change the world and Ricky’s foundation has been doing that for years.”
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Since 2018, the Ricky Rubio Foundation has placed physical activity at the heart of its mission to improve the lives of people with lung cancer, the disease that led to the death of Ricky’s mother, Tona Vives, in 2016. As well as funding scientific research into the impact of exercise on patients, the Foundation supports patients, healthcare professionals and fitness professionals in the safe combination of exercise with cancer treatment.
Receiving the Laureus MARCA Sport for Good Honour, Esteve Rubio said: “It is a tremendous honour for The Ricky Rubio Foundation and for our family. This work is deeply personal to all of us, but its purpose goes far beyond us. Through the Foundation, we want to help create real and lasting change in people’s lives, and we are proud to share that sense of mission with Laureus Sport for Good, with the invaluable support of MARCA.”
Sean Fitzpatrick, Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, said: “What Ricky and his family have created through their Foundation shows the true power of sport – using success not just to inspire, but to support others and create real change. Ricky Rubio’s story goes far beyond basketball. This work reflects courage, compassion and leadership – it is exactly the kind of impact Laureus and MARCA want to shine a light on.”
Ricky Rubio said: “This Honour belongs to everyone who believes sport can help people through difficult moments. My family and I are grateful to Laureus and MARCA for trusting our mission and for helping us amplify the message that no one has to face these challenges alone.”
The MARCA Legends Awards celebrate the figures who have shaped global sport, with the prestigious Leyenda Award previously presented to some of the biggest names in sporting history, including Michael Jordan, Simone Biles and Novak Djokovic. This year’s Leyenda Award winner is Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, the Norwegian cross country skier who won an incredible six golds at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Receiving the Laureus MARCA Sport for Good Honour, Esteve Rubio said: “It is a tremendous honour for The Ricky Rubio Foundation and for our family. This work is deeply personal to all of us, but its purpose goes far beyond us. Through the Foundation, we want to help create real and lasting change in people’s lives, and we are proud to share that sense of mission with Laureus Sport for Good, with the invaluable support of MARCA.”
Sean Fitzpatrick, Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, said: “What Ricky and his family have created through their Foundation shows the true power of sport – using success not just to inspire, but to support others and create real change. Ricky Rubio’s story goes far beyond basketball. This work reflects courage, compassion and leadership – it is exactly the kind of impact Laureus and MARCA want to shine a light on.”
Ricky Rubio said: “This Honour belongs to everyone who believes sport can help people through difficult moments. My family and I are grateful to Laureus and MARCA for trusting our mission and for helping us amplify the message that no one has to face these challenges alone.”
The MARCA Legends Awards celebrate the figures who have shaped global sport, with the prestigious Leyenda Award previously presented to some of the biggest names in sporting history, including Michael Jordan, Simone Biles and Novak Djokovic. This year’s Leyenda Award winner is Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, the Norwegian cross country skier who won an incredible six golds at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
