Olympic Stars Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis, Missy Franklin, Michael Phelps And Bradley Wiggins Among N

RIO DE JANEIRO, December 13, 2012 - A glittering collection of the world’s greatest Olympic and Paralympic stars have been nominated for the 2013 Laureus World Sports Awards, following a ballot by the world’s media. The exceptional performances in London just a few months ago that thrilled the sporting world and produced unforgettable gold medal winning moments have produced Nominations in every category.

Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis, Missy Franklin, Andy Murray, Michael Phelps, Ye Shiwen, Bradley Wiggins and Serena Williams are among those who received Nominations when the shortlist was announced in Rio de Janeiro today.

But they will be challenged by some outstanding performances from non-Olympians, particularly charismatic footballer Lionel Messi, nominated for the fourth straight time, and Sebastian Vettel, winner of a third straight Formula One World Championship.

The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during the calendar year 2012, are 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 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be unveiled at a globally televised Awards Ceremony staged in Rio de Janeiro on March 11.

Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which supports more than 100 community sports projects around the world. Since its inception, Laureus has raised over €55 million for projects which have improved the lives of more than one-and-a-half million young people.

When the winners are revealed in Rio in March, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt could be celebrating his third Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award, after he repeated his success in Beijing by winning gold medals in all three sprint events in London – 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 x 100 metres relay.

Up against him will be legendary swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with a career total of 22 medals, and two Britons – Mo Farah, winner of the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres double, and Bradley Wiggins, winner of the Tour de France and the Olympic Time Trial. Also nominated in the Sportsman’s category are FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, who scored a remarkable 86 goals in 2012, and Germany’s Sebastian Vettel, who won his third straight Formula One World Championship.

With the exception of Lindsey Vonn, who won her fourth overall skiing World Cup in five years, the Nominations for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award are all dominated by the Olympics. Three Americans are short listed: Allyson Felix, who won gold medals in the 200 metres, 4 x 100 metres and 4 x 400 metres relays; swimming sensation Missy Franklin, who at the age of 17, won four gold medals and a bronze; and Serena Williams, who enjoyed one of her greatest years, winning Wimbledon, the US Open and Olympic gold medals in the singles and doubles, with her sister Venus.

Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the fastest woman on Earth after successfully defending her 100 metres Olympic title, and Britain’s Jessica Ennis, who won the heptathlon gold in front of an ecstatic home crowd, complete the six Nominees.

In the Laureus World Team of the Year category, the Spain Football Team, winners in 2011, are nominated again following their European Championship victory, along with the dominant China Olympic Table Tennis Team, the European Ryder Cup Team, who beat the US after an amazing final day fightback at Medinah, Red Bull, who won the Formula One World Constructors Championship for a third straight year and two basketball teams: Miami Heat, who won their second NBA title; and the US Men’s Olympic Team, who won their 14th Olympic gold medal in London.

British tennis player Andy Murray’s first ever Grand Slam victory, at the US Open, plus an Olympic gold and silver medal in the singles and mixed doubles in London, made him a popular Nominee for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award. Also nominated are France’s swim star Yannick Agnel, 20, who won two golds and a silver medal in his first Olympics, US gymnast Gabby Douglas, 400 metres gold medal winner Kirani James, who won Grenada’s first ever Olympic medal, and China’s Ye Shiwen, 16, who won both 200 and 400 metres individual medley gold in the pool, plus Brazil’s football sensation Neymar.

The European Ryder Cup Team also receive a second Nomination, for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award, after their last day fightback against the United States in the so-called ‘Miracle of Medinah’. Also in golf, South Africa’s Ernie Els is nominated for the same Award after winning Britain’s Open Championship ten years after his last Major Championship victory.

The four other Nominees come from the Olympics: Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba is shortlisted after winning the Olympic 10,000 metres after coming back from 16 months of injury; Australia’s Anna Meares won an Olympic cycling gold medal four years after breaking her neck; Felix Sanchez, at 34, won the 400 metres hurdles gold medal again, eight years after he won in Athens, and the Germany Men’s Olympic Eights Team are nominated after winning an Olympic gold medal for the first time since 1988.

Two Brazilian Paralympic stars are nominated for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award. Daniel Dias, winner in 2009, is on the shortlist again after winning six gold medals in London, along with Alan Fonteles Oliveira, who beat favourite Oscar Pistorius to the gold medal in the T44 200 metres.

Patrick Anderson is also nominated after coming out of retirement to inspire Canada to the wheelchair basketball gold medal, as is sprinter Johanna Benson who won Namibia’s first ever gold medal, British wheelchair racer David Weir won four gold medals to become the hero of the home fans in London while former Formula One driver Alex Zanardi, who lost both legs in a crash, won two hand cycling gold medals and a silver at his first Paralympic Games.

Due to the close contest in the men’s 2012 World Surfing Championship possibly affecting Nominations for the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award, the media voting deadline in this category has been extended until after the final event of the season, later this month in Hawaii. The names of the Nominees will be announced in due course.

The Nominations were announced in Rio de Janeiro by Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman Edwin Moses and fellow Academy Member Emerson Fittipaldi, the legendary Brazilian Formula One driver.

Moses, a double Olympic champion in 400 metres hurdles, said: “I always feel in an Olympic year that you are likely to see a strong group of potential Nominees and this year is certainly a great example of that. The Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award particularly is going to be one of the closest contests ever when you look at the wonderful collection of names we have, with the likes of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps and newcomers like Mo Farah and Bradley Wiggins. But the list goes on, in every category. This is really the crème de la crème of sport.”

The full list of Nominees for the 2013 Laureus World Sports Awards is:

Usain Bolt (Jamaica) Athletics – won 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m Olympic gold medals in London

Mo Farah (United Kingdom) Athletics – won 5,000m and 10,000m double in Olympic Games

Lionel Messi (Argentina) Football – Barcelona star who scored 86 goals in the calendar year 

Michael Phelps (United States) Swimming – became most decorated Olympian with 22 career medals

Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Motor Racing – won third straight Formula One World Championship

Bradley Wiggins (United Kingdom) Cycling – won Tour de France and Olympic Time Trial gold

Jessica Ennis (United Kingdom) Athletics – won Olympic heptathlon gold medal in London

Allyson Felix (United States) Athletics – won 200m, 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m Olympic gold medals

Missy Franklin (United States) Swimming – at 17, won four gold medals and a bronze at Olympics

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) Athletics – successfully defended her 100m Olympic title

Lindsey Vonn (United States) Skiing – won fourth overall skiing World Cup in five years

Serena Williams (United States) Tennis – won Wimbledon, the US Open and two Olympic gold medals

China Olympic Table Tennis Team – won all the medals they could in London - four gold and two silver.

European Ryder Cup Team (Golf) – beat American team after amazing final day fightback at Medinah

Miami Heat (United States) Basketball – beat Oklahoma Thunder to win their second NBA title

Red Bull Formula One Team (Austria) Motor Racing – won third straight Constructors Championship

Spain Men’s Football Team – won European Championship to add to World Cup 2010 and Euro 2008

United States Men’s Basketball Team - won their 14th Olympic basketball gold medal in London

Yannick Agnel (France) Swimming - at 20, in his first Olympics, won two gold and a silver medal

Gabby Douglas (United States) Gymnastics – first woman to win Olympic individual and team all-around gold

Kirani James (Grenada) Athletics – at 19, won 400m in London for Grenada’s first ever Olympic medal

Andy Murray (United Kingdom) Tennis – won first Grand Slam at US Open, plus Olympic gold and silver

Neymar (Brazil) Football – often compared to the great Pelé, he scored his 100th goal at age 20

Ye Shiwen (China) Swimming – at 16, she won both Olympic 200m and 400m individual medley gold

Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) Athletics – won Olympic 10,000m after coming back from 16 months injury

Ernie Els (South Africa) Golf – won The Open ten years after his previous Major Championship

European Ryder Cup Team (Golf) – on last day turned match against US around for historic 14½-13½ win

Anna Meares (Australia) Cycling – four years after breaking her neck in cycle crash, she won Olympic gold

Felix Sanchez (Dominican Republic) Athletics – at 34, won 400m hurdles gold again, eight years after Athens

Germany Men’s Olympic Eights Team (Rowing) – won Olympic gold medal for first time since 1988

Patrick Anderson (Canada) Wheelchair Basketball – came out of retirement to inspire Canada to gold medal

Johanna Benson (Namibia) Athletics – in T37 200m sprint, she won Namibia’s first ever gold medal

Daniel de Faria Dias (Brazil) Swimming – won six Paralympic gold medals in London all in world records

Alan Fonteles Oliveira (Brazil) Athletics – beat favourite Oscar Pistorius to win Paralympic T44 200m gold

David Weir (United Kingdom) Wheelchair Racing – won four gold medals as ‘home’ hero of Paralympics

Alex Zanardi (Italy) Hand Cycling – won two gold medals and a silver at his first Paralympic Games

For more detailed biographies of Nominees go to www.laureus.com

The 2013 Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony, which will be attended by the greatest names in sport, past and present, and broadcast to a worldwide TV audience, will be staged at the celebrated Theatro Municipal, a spectacular venue in the heart of Rio de Janeiro, which stages gala performances by international dancers and musicians and which also hosted events at Rio +20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012.

The Laureus World Sports Awards will enhance the calendar of major global events that Rio de Janeiro is hosting in the coming years, such as the 2013 World Judo Championship, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Rio is the birthplace of sport and culture in Brazil, a state of vibrant energy and natural beauty that has become a showcase of the country to the world.

Among the winners who have received Awards at previous Awards Ceremonies have been Jenson Button, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Alex Ferguson, Lewis Hamilton, Justine Henin, Kelly Holmes, Rafael Nadal, Oscar Pistorius, Steve Redgrave, Ronaldo, Michael Schumacher, Kelly Slater, Serena Williams and Zinedine Zidane. Guests attending the Awards Ceremony have included His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain, HSH Prince Albert of Monaco, David and Victoria Beckham, Sean Connery, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Morgan Freeman, Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey.