No Fear. No Barriers - Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Nominees
Regardless of age and whatever the odds, our six Nominees for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability proved they are role models, pioneers and champions.
Three decades separate our youngest and oldest Nominees for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award.
At one end of the age spectrum, Tokito Oda became wheelchair tennis’ youngest Paralympic gold medallist at the age of 18. Para-swimmer Teresa Perales, meanwhile, secured her 28th Paralympic medal in Paris at the age of 48. Barriers – whether of age or physical – simply do not exist for our six shortlisted Nominees.
At one end of the age spectrum, Tokito Oda became wheelchair tennis’ youngest Paralympic gold medallist at the age of 18. Para-swimmer Teresa Perales, meanwhile, secured her 28th Paralympic medal in Paris at the age of 48. Barriers – whether of age or physical – simply do not exist for our six shortlisted Nominees.
American Matt Stutzman used Paris as an opportunity to re-define the possibilities of his sport. The 41-year-old became the first ever armless para-archery champion to win a gold medal.
He survived two shoot-offs to reach the final of the men’s individual compound where he defeated top seed Ai Xinliang, of China, to claim gold with an exceptional score of 149 – one point short of perfection and a new Paralympic record.
As the world’s first armless archer, the US trailblazer’s wider triumph has been inspiring others. There are now six armless archers in the top 100 of the para-archery world rankings, three of whom competed in Paris.
He survived two shoot-offs to reach the final of the men’s individual compound where he defeated top seed Ai Xinliang, of China, to claim gold with an exceptional score of 149 – one point short of perfection and a new Paralympic record.
As the world’s first armless archer, the US trailblazer’s wider triumph has been inspiring others. There are now six armless archers in the top 100 of the para-archery world rankings, three of whom competed in Paris.
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While all of our Nominees are pioneers, others are also prolific. In the pool, Spain’s Perales won the 50 metres freestyle S5 bronze in Paris – securing her 28th Paralympic medal to equal the achievement of Michael Phelps, who won 28 Olympic medals in his career. She also came away with two world records: the 150m medley SM2 and the 100m freestyle S2, which she broke twice during the competition. Teresa’s Paralympic career began when she was 19 and lost the use of her legs. Now aged 48, Paris was her seventh Paralympic Games, and she has won more medals than any other Spanish athlete.
Jiang Yuyan, the 19-year-old Chinese paralympic swimmer, also made history in the French capital. Metaphorically and quite literally a standard bearer – having carried the Chinese flag during the closing ceremony – the teenager, known as the Flying Fish, was the most decorated athlete at the 2024 Paralympic Games. By winning seven gold medals from seven events, she matched the feat of Laureus Academy Member Mark Spitz who won seven gold medals in the pool at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The teenager, who took up para swimming after being involved in a car accident as a child, made an immediate impact, setting a world record of 32.59 secs in the 50 metres freestyle S6 event to win her first gold medal. She followed it with six more golds in the 100m and 400m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 50m butterfly, 4x50 mixed freestyle relay and 4x50 mixed medley relay, and also broke world records in the 100m backstroke and the mixed freestyle relay.
Jiang Yuyan, the 19-year-old Chinese paralympic swimmer, also made history in the French capital. Metaphorically and quite literally a standard bearer – having carried the Chinese flag during the closing ceremony – the teenager, known as the Flying Fish, was the most decorated athlete at the 2024 Paralympic Games. By winning seven gold medals from seven events, she matched the feat of Laureus Academy Member Mark Spitz who won seven gold medals in the pool at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The teenager, who took up para swimming after being involved in a car accident as a child, made an immediate impact, setting a world record of 32.59 secs in the 50 metres freestyle S6 event to win her first gold medal. She followed it with six more golds in the 100m and 400m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 50m butterfly, 4x50 mixed freestyle relay and 4x50 mixed medley relay, and also broke world records in the 100m backstroke and the mixed freestyle relay.
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The greatest athletes rise to the challenge on the biggest stages and Paris provided the backdrop for versatile Swiss athlete Catherine Debrunner – winner of the 2023 Laureus World Sportsperson with Disability Award – to deliver on the track and the road once again. The 29-year-old gathered up gold in five events – the 400 metres T53, 800m T53, 1,500m T54, 5,000m T54 and marathon T54 – and a silver medal in the 100m T53.
Debrunner also won the 2024 Berlin and London Marathons for the second successive year and currently holds world records for 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m (T53/54) and the marathon. Extraordinary dominance from an extraordinary individual.
Debrunner also won the 2024 Berlin and London Marathons for the second successive year and currently holds world records for 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m (T53/54) and the marathon. Extraordinary dominance from an extraordinary individual.
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In the wheelchair tennis singles final in Paris, Oda battled back from match point down to World No.1 Alfie Hewett to become the sport’s youngest Paralympic champion at the age of 18. The talented Japanese youngster also won silver in the doubles.
Following on from his 2023 French Open win, where he became the youngest man to win a major tennis tournament in the Open Era, at 17 years and 33 days, Oda’s Paris success cemented his place on the world stage and served to further inspire a generation of youngsters fighting cancer. Having recovered from bone cancer himself when he was nine, Oda has found ways to succeed on and off the court. The author of two books, he has donated more than a thousand copies to local children..
Following on from his 2023 French Open win, where he became the youngest man to win a major tennis tournament in the Open Era, at 17 years and 33 days, Oda’s Paris success cemented his place on the world stage and served to further inspire a generation of youngsters fighting cancer. Having recovered from bone cancer himself when he was nine, Oda has found ways to succeed on and off the court. The author of two books, he has donated more than a thousand copies to local children..
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Another who celebrated a superb year on court was China’s Qu Zimo, who won three gold medals in the BWF Para Badminton World Championship in Pattaya, Thailand, in February.
Unbeatable in the men’s singles WH1, men’s doubles WH1-WH2 and mixed doubles WH1-WH2 categories, he qualified for Paris 2024 at the top of the rankings in the men’s singles WH1 and mixed doubles WH1-WH2 categories and went on to repeat his gold medal performances from Tokyo, winning two more. The 23-year-old wheelchair badminton star took up the sport after having polio and is now its dominant player, establishing a 28-match winning streak.
Our Nominees in this category are pioneers as well as champions. Each of them in 2024 broke new ground in their sport, and in doing so they lit a trail for young athletes all over the world.
Unbeatable in the men’s singles WH1, men’s doubles WH1-WH2 and mixed doubles WH1-WH2 categories, he qualified for Paris 2024 at the top of the rankings in the men’s singles WH1 and mixed doubles WH1-WH2 categories and went on to repeat his gold medal performances from Tokyo, winning two more. The 23-year-old wheelchair badminton star took up the sport after having polio and is now its dominant player, establishing a 28-match winning streak.
Our Nominees in this category are pioneers as well as champions. Each of them in 2024 broke new ground in their sport, and in doing so they lit a trail for young athletes all over the world.
