Laureus World Sports Awards 2015 | Nominees Announced

SHANGHAI, February 11, 2015 – American sports are celebrating after receiving seven Nominations for the 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards. US sporting giants of today and brilliant young prospects for the future have been selected from a ballot by the world’s media.

American tennis giant Serena Williams could win a record tying fourth Laureus Award after being nominated again as Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year, after winning her 18th career Grand Slam at the US Open to draw level with Laureus World Academy Member Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.

Brilliant young skier Mikaela Shiffrin, who became the youngest Olympic slalom champion at 18 years 345 days, is on the shortlist for Laureus Breakthrough of the Year, while NBA champions San Antonio Spurs are nominated for the Laureus Team of the Year Award after gaining their revenge over Miami Heat.

Once again the US dominates the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year category with nominations for skateboarder Nyjah Huston, snowboarder Sage Kotsenburg, and Alan Eustace who broke Felix Baumgartner’s freefall from space record.

Amazing wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden is nominated for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award for the second straight year after winning the Grand Slam of marathons - Boston, Chicago, London and New York – in both 2013 and 2014. On the track she broke world records in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters and earlier in the year had shown her versatility by winning a Winter Paralympics silver medal in the 1km cross-country sprint.

Laureus World Sports Academy Member and Paralympic legend Tanni Grey-Thompson said:

Tatyana McFadden is an amazing athlete with an amazing story. She was adopted after spending six years in a Russian orphanage and has turned into one of the greatest wheelchair athletes we have ever known. She won the Grand Slam of marathons for two straight years – then she tops all this by adding a Winter Paralympics silver medal. Tatyana is a phenomenon and I applaud her drive and her determination.”

Once again the UK has a candidate for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award with the remarkable Sarah Storey being nominated after winning four world cycling titles in her first year back in action after giving birth to her daughter. And Scottish trials cyclist Danny MacAskill is on the shortlist for Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year after his latest venture, cycling the Cuillin Ridge on the Isle of Skye. In the first five days the video of the ride was watched by ten million on youtube.

A glittering collection of the world’s greatest sports stars have been nominated for the 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards. The winners will be revealed at the Awards Ceremony in Shanghai on April 15.

The full list of Nominees for the 2015 Laureus World Sports Awards is:

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award

• Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Tennis - won Wimbledon for second time; replaced Rafael Nadal as world No.1


• Lewis Hamilton (UK) Motor Racing - won second Formula One World Championship, with 11 victories


• Renaud Lavillenie (France) Athletics - broke Sergey Bubka’s 21-year-old pole vault world record


• Rory McIlroy (UK) Golf – No.1 golfer in the world, won The Open and USPGA Major Championships


• Marc Márquez (Spain) Motor Cycling - won his second straight World MotoGP title at the age of 21


• Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) Football - winner of the Ballon d’Or/World Player of the Year award

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award

• Valerie Adams (NZ) Athletics – undefeated in shot put for four years; was IAAF Women’s Athlete of Year


• Marit Bjørgen (Norway) Nordic Skiing – in Sochi became most decorated female Winter Olympian


• Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) Athletics – broke three world records in three different events in two weeks


• Tina Maze (Slovenia) Alpine Skiing – won two gold medals in the Winter Olympics, Slovenia’s first ever


• Li Na (China) Tennis – won second Grand Slam, reached world No.2 ranking, then had to retire


• Serena Williams (US) Tennis – won 18th career Grand Slam, level with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova

Laureus World Team of the Year Award

• European Ryder Cup Team (Golf) – beat US 16½-11½, for third straight win and sixth in the last seven


• Germany Men’s Football Team - became first European team to win the FIFA World Cup in South America


• Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team (Germany) – won Constructors’ World Championship


• Real Madrid Football Team (Spain) – won a record tenth Champions League/European Cup victory


• San Antonio Spurs (US) Basketball - won NBA Championship for fifth time, beating Miami Heat 4-1


• Switzerland Davis Cup Team (Tennis) – inspired by Roger Federer, won Davis Cup for the first time

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award

• Marin Cilic (Croatia) Tennis – won first ever Grand Slam at the US Open, beating Kei Nishikori in final


• Mario Götze (Germany) Football - scored the winning goal for Germany in the FIFA World Cup Final


• Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Motor Racing – won three Grand Prix for Red Bull in his rookie year


• James Rodriguez (Colombia) Football – won Golden Boot in FIFA World Cup as leading scorer


• Mikaela Shiffrin (US) Alpine Skiing – at 18 years 345 days became youngest Olympic Slalom champion


• Switzerland Davis Cup Team (Tennis) – inspired by Roger Federer, won Davis Cup for the first time

Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award

• Francesco Acerbi (Italy) Football – recovered from cancer to return to Serie A and the Italy football squad


• Schalk Burger (S.Africa) Rugby – survived life-threatening bacterial meningitis to return to Springboks team


• Diego Milito (Argentina) Football – returned to Racing who won the Argentine title for first time in 13 years


• Jo Pavey (UK) Athletics - won European Championships 10,000 metres gold ten months after giving birth


• Pierre Vaultier (France) Snowboarding - won Winter Olympics gold just two months after ligament damage


• Oliver Wilson (UK) Golf - 792nd in the world rankings, he won his first event after 228 European Tour starts

Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award

• Shelley Gautier (Canada) Cycling – has won all tricycle T1 UCI para-cycling world titles over past five years


• Tatyana McFadden (US) Wheelchair Racing – won Boston, Chicago, London and New York marathons


• Roman Petushkov (Russia) Nordic Skiing – first athlete to win six gold medals at a Paralympic Winter Games


• Anna Schaffelhuber (Germany) Alpine Skiing – won all five Alpine gold medals at a Paralympic Winter Games


• Sarah Storey (UK) Cycling - won four world titles in her first year back after giving birth to her daughter


• Yuk Wing Leung (Hong Kong SAR China) Boccia – four golds at World Championships, Asian Para Games

Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award

• Alan Eustace (US) Skydiving – jumped 135,889ft to break Felix Baumgartner’s 2012 free fall world record


• Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) Surfing – won her sixth World Surfing Championship


• Nyjah Huston (US) Skateboarding – won X-Games Street gold medal with highest ever score of 95.00


• Sage Kotsenburg (US) Snowboarding – won inaugural Slopestyle men’s gold medal at the Winter Olympics


• Danny MacAskill (UK) Trials Cycling – rode treacherous Cuillin Ridge on Scotland’s Isle of Skye


• Gabriel Medina (Brazil) Surfing – at 20, won Brazil's first ever World Surfing Championship