LONDON, January 24, 2008 - A glittering collection of the world’s greatest sports stars have been nominated for the 2008 Laureus World Sports Awards, following a ballot by the world’s media.
No less than five former Laureus winners have been short-listed again – Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, Yelena Isinbayeva, Esther Vergeer and the Australian Men’s Cricket Team, but they face strong challenges from some of the brightest and most exciting newcomers in world sport.
Swiss tennis star Federer is in contention for his fourth Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award and Woods for his third. Among their opponents are swimming’s medal machine Michael Phelps, still just 22, who won seven gold medals and broke five world records at the World Championships, Tyson Gay, winner of the 100 and 200 metres sprint double in Osaka, and current World No 1 footballer Kaka.
Isinbayeva’s rivals for Sportswoman of the Year include Brazilian football wonder girl Marta and Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa, now the No 1 women’s golfer in the world. Britain’s Lewis Hamilton is nominated for Laureus Breakthrough of the Year after his remarkable arrival in Formula One, as is Tyson Gay, who receives his second nomination in this category.
Also nominated for Laureus World Team of the Year, along with Rugby World Cup winners South Africa and Cricket World Cup winners Australia are the Iraq Football Team, who won the Asian Cup with a side which included Sunni and Shia Muslims.
Dutch wheelchair tennis champion Esther Vergeer, winner of the Laureus Disability Award in 2002, has been nominated for the fifth time after an unbeaten 2007, while Australia’s men’s and women’s world surfing champions, Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore, are among those short-listed for the Laureus Action Sports Award.
The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during the period February 1, 2007 – December 31, 2007, are recognised as the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 43 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be unveiled during a televised Awards Ceremony staged in the Mariinsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia on February 18. 2008.
Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman Edwin Moses said: “This has been a great year for sport and the Academy are going to find it extremely difficult to decide who to vote for as winners. We have had some thrilling world championships this year and a host of terrific individual performances. I congratulate all the nominees and now we look forward to what should be a great Awards Ceremony.”
In addition to the announcement of the 2008 nominees, the Laureus World Sports Awards is delighted to announce the support of Vodafone as a new Global Partner. The agreement is for 5 years, concluding in 2012.
"Vodafone has a significant and long standing involvement with sports sponsorship, both at a global and local level. We are pleased to be associated with this Awards Ceremony which is known as the premier honours event in the international sporting calendar. We are also delighted to see Lewis Hamilton, of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, on the shortlist for best newcomer. We wish Lewis and all the participants the best of luck for the evening," commented David Wheldon, Global Brand Director, Vodafone.
The full list of nominees for the 2008 Laureus World Sports Awards is:
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year
Roger Federer (Switzerland) – winner of fifth straight Wimbledon title to equal Bjorn Borg’s record
Tyson Gay (US) – winner of 100m & 200m World Championship sprint double
Kaka (Brazil) – leading scorer in 2007 Champions League, FIFA World Player of the Year
Michael Phelps (US) –won seven golds and five world records at World Swimming Championships
Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) – clinched first Formula One World Championship in last race of season
Tiger Woods (US) – winner of US PGA championship and six other US PGA Tour events
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
Justine Henin (Belgium) – first tennis player to win ten titles in a season for ten years
Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia) – winner of World Championship pole vault gold medal
Carolina Kluft (Sweden) – winner of third straight World Championship heptathlon gold
Libby Lenton (Australia) – won five gold medals in World Swimming Championships
Marta (Brazil) – won Golden Ball and Golden Shoe in FIFA Women’s World Cup
Lorena Ochoa (Mexico) – top women’s golfer in the world, won eight tournaments in 2007
Laureus World Team of the Year
AC Milan Football Team (Italy) – winners of seventh Champions League / European Cup
Australia Men’s Cricket Team – winners of third successive Cricket World Cup
Ferrari (Italy) – won Formula One World Championship with their driver Kimi Raikkonen
Germany Women’s Football Team – became first team to retain FIFA Women's World Cup
Iraq Football Team – won Asian Cup with a team including Sunni and Shia Muslims
South African Rugby Team – won 2007 Rugby World Cup, going through tournament unbeaten
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year
Alberto Contador (Spain) – won Tour de France for the first time in 2007
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) – at 20, won five times on ATP tour and was runner-up at US Open
Tyson Gay (US) – winner of 100m & 200m World Championship sprint double
Lewis Hamilton (UK) – at 22, became youngest driver to lead F1 World Championship
Oscar Pistorius (S.Africa) – has carbon fibre limbs, competed in non-disabled races in 2007
Casey Stoner (Australia) – at 21, won World MotoGP Championship, winning ten races
Laureus World Comeback of the Year
Gt.Britain Rugby League Team – won a Test series for the first time in 14 years
Christine Ohuruogu (UK) – won World Championship 400m after ban for missing drugs tests
Paula Radcliffe (UK) – won New York Marathon after two years away from competition
Jana Rawlinson (Australia) – won World Championship 400m hurdles eight months after giving birth
Steve Stricker (US) – finished 2007 as World No 4 golfer after recovering from several years poor golf
Jonny Wilkinson (UK) – returned after injury to lead England to Rugby World Cup final
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability
Daniel Dias (Brazil) – won eight swimming gold medals in the the ParaPan American Games
Darren Kenny (UK) – won two gold and two bronze in the World ParaCycling Championship
Sarah Storey (UK) – collected two cycling gold medals at Paralympic World Cup in Manchester
Michael Teuber (Germany) – won gold for third time in World ParaCycling Championship pursuit
Esther Vergeer (Netherlands) – wheelchair tennis player unbeaten in four years
*There are only five nominees in this category
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year
Daniel Dhers (Venezuela) – at 21, took gold in BMX Park at the Summer X Games
Mick Fanning (Australia) – won the 2007 Surfing World Tour, taking three firsts during the year
Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) – at 19, first surfer to win a World Surfing Championship as a rookie
Aaron Hadlow (UK) – aged 19, won PKRA kiteboarding world tour for fourth straight time
Ryan Sheckler (US) – dominated Park category in skateboarding on Action Sports Tour
Shaun White (US) – won Winter and Summer X Games golds in snowboarding and skateboarding
Laureus is a universal movement that celebrates the power of sport to bring people together as a force for good. Laureus is composed of three core elements - the Laureus World Sports Awards, the Laureus World Sports Academy and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation - which collectively celebrate sporting excellence and harness the power of sport to promote social change.
The spectacular backdrop of St. Petersburg, one of the most historic cities in the world, with its palaces of the tsars, museums, waterways and historic landmarks, promises to ensure one of the most memorable Laureus Awards Ceremonies ever. Over the years St. Petersburg has hosted many important sports events, including the highly successful 1994 Goodwill Games.
Valentina Matvienko, the Governor of St. Petersburg said: "We are delighted that St. Petersburg has been chosen to host the 2008 Laureus World Sports Awards. Sport is close to the hearts of millions of Petersburgers and we look forward to staging this major sport event in our city.
“St. Petersburg is a city that harmoniously combines historic traditions and modern European values. Active construction of sport facilities and creation of well-developed infrastructure, make St. Petersburg the ideal venue for sports events of global significance. I am sure this ceremony will be a night to remember in the city. I am also confident that our partnership with the Laureus World Sports Awards will be enormously successful."
The 2007 Awards Ceremony, held in the presence of His Majesty The King of Spain, was attended by global figures from sport, entertainment, business and fashion. In addition to members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, among the guests present were Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman and popular stars Elisha Cuthbert, Cuba Gooding Jr, Eva Longoria, Kyle MacLachlan and Valeria Mazza.
To apply for accreditation for the 2008 Laureus World Sports Awards, please log on to www.laureus.com/accreditation or contact Shelly Storm on accreditation@laureus.com
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