Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award 2014: The Analysis part 1
March 11, 2014
One of the most hotly contested categories every year is that of the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award.
The Nominees are some of the most recognisable people in the world. Their achievements capable of entertaining, inspiring and giving hope to millions of fans across the world.
Here, in the first part of our analysis of the Nominees, we take in names from Athletics to Basketball.
But who gets your support?
USAIN BOLT (Jamaica) Athletics
Michael Johnson "Bolt is incredibly dominant. He is the dominant sprinter of this era" "An athlete like usain bolt has set the bar so high.
Another outstanding year for Usain Bolt who won three gold medals in the World Championships in Moscow at 100 and 200 metres and sprint relay – a feat he also achieved in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. He also holds the 100 metres world record with 9.58 secs and the 200 metres with 19.19 secs. In total he has won eight gold and two silver medals in World Championships in his career. In November he was named IAAF Male Athlete of the Year for the fifth time.
MO FARAH (United Kingdom) Athletics
Britain’s Mo Farah has now established himself as one of the greatest ever distance runners. In 2013 he won the classic 5,000 and 10,000 metres double in the World Championships in Moscow, to repeat his Olympic success in London a year earlier. Only Kenenisa Bekele, the world record-holder at both distances, has ever managed such a feat before. Farah, who moved to London from Somalia when he was eight, showed his versatility during the year by breaking the European 1,500 metres record to become the sixth fastest man ever over that distance.
LEBRON JAMES (United States) Basketball
In a stellar season LeBron James won both NBA regular season MVP and NBA Finals MVP awards. Behind his play, Miami Heat finished with a franchise and league 66-16 record. It was James’ fourth regular season MVP award in the last five years. He fell just one vote short of being the first player in NBA history to win the award unanimously. Shaquille O’Neal also came up one vote short in 1999/2000. In the decisive last game against San Antonio in the Finals, he scored 37, tying the record for most points in an NBA Finals game seven. He was Finals MVP for the second straight season, averaging 25.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.6 assists.
