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South Africa’s remarkable and versatile Paralympic athlete Pieter du Preez has been nominated for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award, following his outstanding performances in 2015.
Du Preez won double gold medals in the time trial and road race In the H1 class at the Para-Cycling World Championships and finished the season No.1 in the world rankings. In wheelchair competition, the 35-year-old broke the 10,000 metres T51 world record and set new African records in the 200, 1,500 and 10,000 metres. He is the 2015 world No.1 at 800, 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 metres. Back in 2013, he famously became the first quadriplegic to complete an ironman triathlon.
He said: “It is one of the biggest honours in my life and I am extremely humbled to be nominated for a Laureus World Sports Award. I am very proud to represent not only my country, South Africa, but also quadriplegics and tetraplegics all over the world.”The winners will be revealed at the Awards Ceremony in Berlin this evening.
A glittering collection of the world’s great sports stars have been nominated, including three-time Laureus winner Usain Bolt, tennis No.1 Novak Djokovic, three-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award.
US tennis legend Serena Williams is again nominated for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award – her record tenth Nomination for a Laureus Award – while the All Blacks, the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team and FC Barcelona are among those nominated for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award. Two sportsmen are nominated in two categories: Australian surfer Mick Fanning (Action and Comeback) and world No.1 golfer Jordan Spieth (Sportsman and Breakthrough).
The full list of Nominees for the Laureus World Sports Awards is:
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award
Usain Bolt (Jamaica) Athletics, Stephen Curry (US) Basketball, Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Tennis,
Lewis Hamilton (UK) Motor Racing, Lionel Messi (Argentina) Football, Jordan Spieth (US) Golf.
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award
Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) Athletics, Anna Fenninger (Austria) Skiing, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) Athletics, Katie Ledecky (US) Swimming, Carli Lloyd (US) Football, Serena Williams (US) Tennis
Laureus World Team of the Year Award
All Blacks (New Zealand) Rugby, FC Barcelona (Spain) Football, Golden State Warriors (US) Basketball, Great Britain Davis Cup Team (Tennis), Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team (Germany),
US Women’s Football Team
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award
Chile Men’s Football Team, Jason Day (Australia) Golf, Tyson Fury (UK) Boxing, Adam Peaty (UK) Swimming, Jordan Spieth (US) Golf, Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Motor Racing.
Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award
Dan Carter (New Zealand) Rugby, Jessica Ennis-Hill (UK) Athletics, Mick Fanning (Australia) Surfing,
Michael Phelps (US) Swimming, David Rudisha (Kenya) Athletics, Lindsey Vonn (US) Skiing.
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award
Marie Bochet (France) Skiing, Liu Cuiqing (China) Athletics, Daniel Dias (Brazil) Swimming, Omara Durand (Cuba) Athletics, Pieter Du Preez (S.Africa) Athletics, Cycling, Leung Yuk Wing (China Hong Kong) Boccia.
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award
Rachel Atherton (UK) Mountain Biking, Bob Burnquist (Brazil) Skateboard, Adriano de Souza (Brazil) Surfing, Mick Fanning (Australia) Surfing, Jan Frodeno (Germany) Ironman Triathlon, Chloe Kim (US) Snowboarding.
For more detailed biographies of Nominees go to http://lwsa16.laureus.com/
The 17th Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognises sporting achievement during the calendar year 2015, is the premier honours event on the international sporting calendar. The winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 55 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be unveiled at a globally televised Awards Ceremony staged in the Messe Berlin on the evening of Monday, April 18.
While celebrating the greatest sporting successes of the year, the Awards Ceremony also showcases the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which has supported more than 150 sports-based community projects around the world and helped to improve the lives of millions of young people.
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