Laureus World Sports Awards 2018 Nominees Announced

Highlights:

• Four-time winner Serena Williams selected by media for record 11th time

• US dominates Laureus Sportswomen Award with four Nominations

• Warriors and Patriots shortlisted for Laureus Team of the Year Award

• Seven-time gold medalist Caeleb Dressel nominated for Breakthrough Award

• Laureus World Sports Awards to be held in Monaco on February 27

MONACO, January 16, 2018 – Serena Williams is on the verge of making history, after being nominated for a record 11th time for the Laureus World Sports Awards. If she goes on to win the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award in Monaco next month, she will become the first woman to receive five Laureus Statuettes.

The Sportswoman category is a near American monopoly with Allyson Felix, Katie Ledecky and Mikaela Shiffrin also shortlisted in a year in which US sport has received a record-equalling 12 Nominations following a ballot by the world’s media.

Golden State Warriors and New England Patriots are nominated for the Laureus Team of the Year Award, while surfing world champion J.J.Florence and skateboard star Nyjah Huston are selected in the Laureus Action Sportsperson of the Year category.

Brilliant young swimmer Caeleb Dressel, who matched Michael Phelps by winning seven gold medals in the World Championship, is nominated for Laureus Breakthrough of the Year, while Justin Gatlin is one of the six Nominees for Laureus Comeback of the Year.

Disabled skier Oksana Masters, who suffered from birth defects believed to be from radiation from the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident, is nominated as Laureus Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.

The eventual winners, as voted for by members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, will be revealed in Monaco on February 27.

Nominated in the Laureus Best Sporting Moment of the Year category are the Iowa Hawkeyes football team for the heartwarming ‘Kinnick wave’ in which supporters at Kinnick Stadium wave to young people at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital at the end of the first quarter of each game. The Hawkeyes are in an online public poll by sports fans voting for their favourite moment from a list of five at myLaureus.com.

QUOTES:

Golden State Warriors President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Bob Myers: "The nomination for the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards in the Team of the Year category is a reflection of the team’s hard work both on and off the court over the past year. To be considered by the world’s media to be among the six highest achieving teams in sport around the world is a tremendous honor and something we take great pride in across the organization."

Caeleb Dressel, about his Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year nomination:

"To achieve what I did in Budapest was an amazing experience and I thank the world’s media for nominating me for a Laureus Award. It’s a great honour to think that I am now associated with two giants of swimming – Laureus Academy Member Mark Spitz who changed the whole face of swimming back in 1972 and Laureus Award Winner Michael Phelps who has set the standard for the rest of us swimmers going forward. This is such an exciting moment. Thank you."

Katie Ledecky, about her Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year nomination:

"I wish to thank the world’s media and Laureus for the honor of this nomination. It was a great privilege for me to compete this year for both Team USA and Stanford University. I have great admiration for the Laureus Foundation and all of its ambassadors for the work they do around the world. I also wish to offer my congratulations and best wishes to all of the nominees, with special congratulations to my fellow Team USA swimmer Caeleb Dressel for his nomination in the Breakthrough of the Year Category."

NOTES TO EDITORS

Laureus is a universal movement that celebrates the power of sport to bring people together as a force for good. Laureus is composed of three core elements - the Laureus World Sports Academy, Laureus Sport for Good and the Laureus World Sports Awards - which collectively celebrate sporting excellence and use sport as the means to promote social change.

The first Patron of Laureus was Nelson Mandela. At the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards in 2000, he said: "Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers." This has become the philosophy of Laureus, the driving force behind its work.

The members of the Laureus World Sports Academy are: Giacomo Agostini, Marcus Allen, Franz Beckenbauer, Boris Becker, Ian Botham, Sergey Bubka, Cafu, Fabian Cancellara, Bobby Charlton, Sebastian Coe, Nadia Comaneci, Yaping Deng, Marcel Desailly, Kapil Dev, Mick Doohan, David Douillet, Rahul Dravid, Luis Figo, Emerson Fittipaldi, Sean Fitzpatrick (Chairman), Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Ruud Gullit, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Mika Häkkinen, Tony Hawk, Maria Höfl-Riesch, Mike Horn, Chris Hoy, Miguel Indurain, Michael Johnson, Kip Keino, Franz Klammer, Lennox Lewis, Tegla Loroupe, Dan Marino, Yao Ming, Edwin Moses, Nawal El Moutawakel, Li Na, Robby Naish, Ilie Nastase, Martina Navratilova, Alexey Nemov, Jack Nicklaus, Brian O’Driscoll, Alessandro Del Piero, Gary Player, Morné du Plessis, Hugo Porta, Carles Puyol, Raúl, Steve Redgrave, Vivian Richards, Monica Seles, Mark Spitz, Sachin Tendulkar, Daley Thompson, Alberto Tomba, Steve Waugh, Katarina Witt, Li Xiaopeng and Yang Yang.

Laureus Academy Members volunteer their services to support Laureus Sport for Good, a charity which uses the power of sport to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage and proves that sport can change the world. Currently, Laureus Sport for Good supports over 100 programmes which are using sport to make social change in around 35 countries. Every programme Laureus supports is addressing at least one of the following six social issues, which are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; Health, Education, Women and Girls, Employability, Inclusive Society, Peaceful Society.

The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier global sports awards honouring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year. The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury – the over 60 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today. The Awards are presented at an annual Awards Ceremony, attended by global figures from sport and entertainment, which is broadcast to 160 countries and territories.

The Awards continue to support Laureus Sport for Good by showcasing the incredible work it does with athletes and partners to transform the lives of individuals and promoting to a global audience the power of sport as a development tool to combat challenging social issues.

Laureus was founded by its Patrons Richemont and Daimler and is supported by its Global Partners Mercedes-Benz and IWC Schaffhausen.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz is the inventor of the automobile – and has been passionately shaping its future since 1886. As pioneers in automotive engineering, it is both our inspiration and responsibility to continue the tradition of the brand with trailblazing technologies and high-quality products. Like no other trademark in the automotive world, Mercedes-Benz appeals to both the hearts and minds of its customers. We give our very best for customers who expect the very best. Since the founding fathers Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, our corporate history has been one of innovation and pioneering achievements. Many technical innovations that are nowadays standard in automobiles first entered the market in a Mercedes-Benz. This is the basis for our claim to leadership in automotive engineering. The brand stands for Modern Luxury, and enjoys an outstanding reputation for quality, safety, comfort, design and comprehensive, sustainable mobility.

IWC Schaffhausen

With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people and maintains partnerships with organisations dedicated to climate and environmental protection.

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