ROME, May 27, 2009 - Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva, one of the greatest female athletes in history, is the winner of the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award for the second time, following her sensational gold medal winning performance in the Beijing Olympics.
Isinbayeva received the most prestigious Award in sport from Laureus World Sports Academy members Sir Bobby Charlton, the England football legend, Marcel Desailly, the former French football captain, and Italian ski maestro Alberto Tomba, at a special presentation event in Rome.
Not only is it her second Laureus Award - she also won in 2007 - but it is the fifth straight year that the Russian pole vault super star has been nominated.
Yelena Isinbayeva said: "It was a real thrill to win this Award two years ago, but to have won it again is unbelievable. It really is a unique honour. I would like to thank the members of the Laureus Academy who voted for me again. They have all competed at the highest level and know how much commitment is needed to stay at the top. I would especially like to thank my coach Vitaliy Petrov and Sergey Bubka who has been a great mentor to me over the years, and my management who have helped me to win this Award."
Laureus Academy member Sergey Bubka, the Ukraine pole vault legend who was Isinbayeva's inspiration at the start of her career, was unable to be in Rome, but a message from him was read out during the presentation. He said: "Yelena totally deserves this second Laureus Award. She is a phenomenal athlete. From the time she set her first world record six year ago, she has dominated women's pole vaulting, and made it one of the blue riband events in athletics. She was the first woman to break the five metre barrier and has already improved the world record 24 times. She still has many years of top class competition to come. Who knows how far she can take the event in the future?"
In Beijing, Isinbayeva cleared 5.05 metres - the 24th time she has improved the world record - to win her second Olympic gold medal. It was her ninth major championship career victory, which have included Olympic, World outdoor and indoor and European outdoor and indoor titles. Her dominance in athletics was acknowledged in November 2008 when she was named IAAF Female World Athlete of the Year for the third time.
Also nominated along with Yelena Isinbayeva for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award were Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba, who became the first woman to win the 5,000 & 10,000 metres double at the same Olympics, Australia's Stephanie Rice, who won three swimming gold medals in Beijing, Mexico's Lorena Ochoa, the No.1 women's golfer in the world, and Americans Lindsey Vonn, who won the Alpine World Cup title, and Venus Williams, who captured her fifth Wimbledon championship.
The Laureus World Sports Awards is the only global sports awards honouring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year. The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury - the 46 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, a collection of the world's greatest sportsmen and women. The living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today. The 10th Laureus World Sports Awards recognise sporting achievement during the period January 1, 2008 - December 31, 2008.
The winners of this year's other Laureus World Sports Awards will receive their Awards individually at a series of presentations and announcements in June. Because of the current economic situation Laureus and its partners have decided to forego the usual spring Awards Ceremony. The key focus for Laureus during 2009 will be to support the funding and activities of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. The date of the next Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony will be announced in due course.
The Laureus Foundation addresses social challenges through a worldwide programme of sports related community development initiatives. Since its inception Laureus has raised €20 million for projects which have helped improve the lives of more than one million young people.
The full list of nominees for the remaining 2009 Laureus World Sports Awards is:
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year
Usain Bolt (Jamaica) - first man to win 100m, 200m & 4x100m Olympic gold medals in world records
Lewis Hamilton (UK) - youngest ever Formula One World Champion at 23 years and 300 days
Rafael Nadal (Spain) - won French Open, Wimbledon & Olympic gold medal to become tennis No.1
Michael Phelps (US) - won eight gold medals in a single Olympiad to overtake Mark Spitz's record
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) - FIFA World Player of the Year, scored 42 goals for Manchester United
Valentino Rossi (Italy) - beat Giacomo Agostini's record 68 500cc wins, and won 6th senior world title
Laureus World Team of the Year
Boston Celtics (US) - beat Los Angeles Lakers to win the NBA play-offs for a record 17th time
China Olympic Team - best ever Olympic result, led medals table with 51 gold, 21 silver, 28 bronze
GB Olympic Cycle Team (UK) - dominated the Beijing velodrome with 8 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze
Jamaica Olympic Sprint Team - beat US favourites for a near clean sweep of Olympic sprint medals
Manchester United (UK) - won third European Champions League and also English Premier League
Spain Football Team - won European Championship, their first major title for 44 years
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year
Rebecca Adlington (UK) - 19, unknown at the start of the year, won Olympic 400m & 800m freestlye
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) - 21, won his first Grand Slam tennis title at the Australian Open
Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) - 20, won first Grand Slam at French Open, was tennis World No.1 for 9 weeks
Anthony Kim (US) - 23, won two US PGA events, and was star of US Ryder Cup win
Sebastian Vettel (Germany) - youngest ever F1 Grand Prix winner, at 21 years, 73 days, at Monza
Zou Kai (China) - won three gymnastic gold medals in Beijing on his Olympic debut
Laureus World Comeback of the Year
Vitali Klitschko (Ukraine) - regained World Heavyweight Championship at 37 after four years out
Anna Meares (Australia) - won Olympic silver medal eight months after breaking neck in cycle crash
Greg Norman (Australia) - finished 3rd in British Open golf at the age of 53, while on his honeymoon
Matthias Steiner (Germany) - won weightlifting Olympic gold a year after his wife died in car crash
Maarten van der Weijden (Netherlands) - won Olympic swimming gold medal after beating leukaemia
Tiger Woods (US) - returned two months after serious knee injury to win US Open golf championship
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability
Daniel Dias (Brazil) - 20, leading swimmer at Paralympics with 4 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze medals
April Holmes (US) - world's fastest female amputee, won 100 metres at Paralympics
Darren Kenny (UK) - Paralympic cyclist who won 4 gold and 1 silver medals in Beijing.
Jonas Jacobsson (Sweden) - has won a shooting gold medal in the eight Paralympics since 1980
Teresa Perales (Spain) - won 3 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals in Paralympic swimming
Zhang Lixin (China) - became the local hero in Beijing with four wheelchair racing gold medals
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year
Julien Absalon (France) - became first man to defend Olympic cross-country mountain bike title
Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) - won surfing world title in rookie year 2007, and also 2008
Aaron Hadlow (UK) - 19, won PKRA kiteboarding world tour for fifth straight time
Tanner Hall (US) - now the most successful Winter X Games athlete ever with seven gold medals
Kelly Slater (US) - At 36, legendary surfing master Kelly Slater won his ninth world title
Shaun White (US) - snowboarder, won Winter X Games Superpipe and bronze Slopestyle
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