Cardoso and Costa crowned Athletes of the Year at Brazil’s 2015 Paralympic Awards

Canoeist Luis Carlos Cardoso received the men's Athlete of the Year award ©Leandra Benjamin/MPIX/CPB

Canoeist Luis Carlos Cardoso and long-jumper Silvania Costa have been crowned Athletes of the Year at Brazil’s 2015 Paralympic Awards at the Sofitel Hotel in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro.

Cardoso claimed double gold at the 2015 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Paracanoe World Championships, first triumphing in the men’s K1 200 metres KL1 event, before securing an impressive win in the V1 200m VL3 competition.

He was named as the winner of the men’s award having received 48 per cent of a public vote, with 200m T11 sprinter Felipe Gomes coming second on 26 per cent, having won gold at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Swimmer Daniel Dias, who won seven gold medals at the IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, finished in third place on 25.43 per cent.

"After everything I went through in 2015, it means a lot to me to be elected by the public,” Cardoso said.

“I made the transition from canoe to kayak so as to compete at Rio 2016.

“Winning a medal was great and I'm even happier to compete against athletes like Felipe Gomes and Daniel Dias.”

Meanwhile, Costa was the clear winner of the women’s award with 64 per cent of the vote, having earned T11 long jump gold at both the IPC Athletics World Championships and Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games.

Silvania Costa earned the women's award for her long jump golds at Doha 2015 and the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games ©Getty Images

S5 swimming world champion Joana Neves and F37 discus thrower Shirlene Coelho completed the top three with 20 per cent and 16 per cent of the vote respectively.

In the build-up to the Rio 2016 Paralympics, the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB) also recognised the best athletes in each of the 22 sports which will appear on the Games programme next year.

Additionally, Fabio Dias received the individual coaching award for his work in athletics, while the team award was given to goalball coach Dailton Freitas.

Daniel Tavares, the T20 400m gold medallist at Doha 2015, was named as the best young athlete.

CPB President and IPC vice-president Andrew Parsons also announced the 2015 Paralympic Personality of the Year prize, which was won by State senator and former football star Romario and federal deputy Mara Gabrilli, for their work to approve the Inclusion of People with Disabilities Act.