Laureus World Sports Awards to be a star-studded affair

PARIS: Many of the world’s greatest sportsmen and women, past and present, will be attending this year’s Laureus World Sports Awards here on May 8.

Led by an elite group of gold medal winning Olympians, it includes Laureus Academy Members Sebastian Coe, Edwin Moses, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Nawal El Moutawakel, Chris Hoy and Paralympic star Tanni Grey-Thompson.

Also present will be Jamaica’s pocket rocket, the brilliant sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who has won two individual sprint Olympic gold medals and six individual world titles, and Brazilian skateboard prodigy Rayssa Leal who won an Olympic silver medal in Tokyo at the age of 14.

Their presence at the awards ceremony in the heart of Paris will be hugely popular as the timelessly beautiful city prepares to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in 15 months.

Also among the early confirmed attendees are some of the world’s most celebrated footballers, including Laureus Academy Members Luis Figo and Carlos Puyol, Laureus Ambassador Fabio Capello, French giants Patrice Evra and Claude Makélélé.

There will be a massive welcome in Paris for France’s Justine Dupont, who has established herself as the best female big wave surfer in the world since 2019, and now challenges the men in the sport.

The Laureus Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award is one of the most prestigious in Paralympic sport and this year five of the six nominees in the category have already confirmed they will be in Paris: Catherine Debrunner, Declan Farmer, Cameron Leslie, Oksana Masters and Jesper Saltvik Pedersen. Also in Paris will be popular Italian wheelchair fencer Bebe Vio.

Sebastian Coe, Laureus Academy Member and Chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: “I saw in 2012 the incredible impact the Olympic Games has on its host city. It’s about far more than elite competition, the change can be societal and it lasts long after the medals are handed out. That cycle began in earnest with the Laureus World Sports Awards, the greatest celebration of sport we have. With the Rugby World Cup and then the Olympics, Paris is about to become the centre of the sporting world.

“There’s no better way to begin than with the Laureus Awards. I’m looking forward to celebrating the best of sport in Paris on May 8.”

While celebrating the best of sport, the Laureus Awards ceremony is also a powerful showcase for Laureus Sport for Good, which has improved the lives of more than six and a half million young people since its inception in 2000.

Laureus is excited to be working with Paris to host the 2023 awards ceremony, a natural development from its co-operation on the Laureus Sport for Good Model City project over the last three years, helping young people in the city.

The full list of nominees in all categories is:

Laureus World Sportsman Of The Year Award

Steph Curry (USA), Basketball – led Golden State Warriors to fourth NBA championship in eight years.

Mondo Duplantis (Sweden), Athletics – three world records, two world titles in a dominant 2022.

Kylian Mbappé (France), Football – Golden Boot winner at World Cup, led Ligue 1 in goals and assists.

Lionel Messi (Argentina) Football – captained Argentina to the World Cup; Golden Ball for best player.

Rafael Nadal (Spain), Tennis – won two Grand Slams in 2022 to take career wins to a record 22.

Max Verstappen (Netherlands), Motor Racing – defended Formula One World Championship in 2022.

Laureus World Sportswoman Of The Year Award

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica), Athletics – won record fifth 100m title at World Championships.

Katie Ledecky (USA), Swimming – four golds at World Aquatics Championships set a new record.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA), Athletics – smashed world 400m hurdles record.

Alexia Putellas (Spain), Football – a second Ballon d’Or, captained Barcelona to perfect league win.

Mikaela Shiffrin (USA), Alpine Skiing – regained overall title at the World Cup.

Iga Swiatek (Poland), Tennis – won in France and USA to become World No.1.

Laureus World Team Of The Year Award

Argentina Men’s Football Team – World Cup winners after a thrilling final against France.

England Women’s Football Team – won the European Championships in front of packed crowds at home.

France Men’s Rugby Team – ended 12-year wait for Six Nations title with a Grand Slam.

Golden State Warriors (USA) Basketball – NBA champions for the fourth time in eight years.

Real Madrid (Spain) Football – La Liga and Champions League double for the Spanish giants.

Oracle Red Bull Racing (Austria) – vanquished Mercedes after eight years to claim constructors’ title.

Laureus World Breakthrough Of The Year Award

Carlos Alcaraz (Spain), Tennis – won debut Grand Slam title in New York to take World No.1 spot.

Tobi Amusan (Nigeria), Athletics – world champion and a new world record over 100m hurdles.

Nathan Chen (USA), Figure Skating – Olympic gold with a world record in the short program.

Morocco Men’s Football Team – first African nation to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan), Tennis – won Wimbledon from No.17 seed, her first Grand Slam title.

Scottie Scheffler (USA), Golf – winner at Augusta and joint second at the US Open.

Laureus World Comeback Of The Year Award

Francesco Bagnaia (Italy), Motor Cycling – overturned 91-point deficit to win MotoGP crown.

Christian Eriksen (Denmark), Football – returned to Premier League after cardiac arrest during Euro 2020.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway), Athletics – fought back from shock defeat in 1500m to win 5000m world title.

Klay Thompson (USA), Basketball – won NBA championship with Golden State Warriors after 30 months out.

Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands), Cycling – overcame illness to win Tour de France Femme.

Tiger Woods (USA), Golf – returned to make cut at Masters following career-threatening car crash.

Laureus Sportsperson Of The Year With A Disability Award

Diede de Groot (Netherlands), Wheelchair Tennis – completed second calendar-year Grand Slam.

Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland), Para Athletics – four world records in three-day meet on home track.

Declan Farmer (USA), Para Ice Hockey – third Paralympic gold with USA and the tournament’s top goal-scorer.

Cameron Leslie (New Zealand), Para Swimming and Wheelchair Rugby – gold in the pool after two years out.

Oksana Masters (USA), Para Cross-Country Skiing – double biathlon gold at Winter Paralympics.

Jesper Saltvik Pedersen (Norway), Para Alpine Skiing – four golds on the slopes in China.

Laureus World Action Sportsperson Of The Year Award

Justine Dupont (France), Big Wave Surfing – high-risk pursuit of giant waves continued in 2022.

Stephanie Gilmore (Australia), Surfing – eighth world title for the Australian hall-of-famer.

Eileen Gu (China), Freestyle Skiing – double gold – in big air and halfpipe – for the teenage sensation.

Chloe Kim (USA), Snowboarding – defended her Olympic title at halfpipe.

Rayssa Leal (Brazil), Skateboarding – gold in Street event at both Summer X Games and World Championships.

Filipe Toledo (Brazil), Surfing – debut world title for the Brazilian high-flyer.