The 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards have announced their finalists.<\/p>\n
The list of contenders for the\u00a0Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award<\/em>\u00a0is a who\u2019s who of sporting royalty, including France\u2019s Olympic hero\u00a0L\u00e9on Marchand<\/strong>, tennis star\u00a0Carlos Alcaraz<\/strong>, pole vaulting legend\u00a0Mondo Duplantis<\/strong>, all-conquering Formula One champion\u00a0Max Verstappen<\/strong>, and Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The shortlist for the\u00a0Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award<\/em>\u00a0contains some of the greatest athletes not only of the past 12 months, but of all-time. Four-time Laureus Award winner\u00a0Simone Biles\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0magical displays in Paris ensured she became the most decorated gymnast in history, while last year\u2019s winner,\u00a0Aitana Bonmat\u00ed<\/strong>, is one of the names in contention once again after winning the Ballon d\u2019Or and treble with Barcelona. Sprinter\u00a0Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone<\/strong>\u00a0is also shortlisted after winning two golds in Paris.<\/p>\n In 2024, San Antonio Spurs centre\u00a0Victor Wembanyama<\/strong>\u00a0was unanimously named the league\u2019s Rookie of the Year and was also the first rookie ever to be selected in the All-Defensive First Team. His groundbreaking season was rounded off with a silver medal as part of the French national team at the 2024 Olympic Games, and he is nominated for this year\u2019s\u00a0Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award<\/em>. So, too, is\u00a0Julien Alfred<\/strong>, who won a first-ever Olympic gold for the Caribbean Island of St Lucia, and fellow history-maker\u00a0Letsile Tebogo<\/strong>, who delivered a maiden gold for Botswana. They are joined on the shortlist by teenage swimming starlet\u00a0Summer McIntosh<\/strong>, and the star of Spain\u2019s swashbuckling Euro 2024 squad,\u00a0Lamine Yamal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award<\/em>\u00a0is made up of athletes whose performances lit up the Paris Paralympic Games. Swimming duo\u00a0Teresa Perales<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Jian Yuhan<\/strong>\u00a0are among those nominated, as is America\u00a0Matt Stutzman<\/strong>, who made history in the French capital after becoming the first armless para-archer to win a gold medal. He is joined by wheelchair tennis champion\u00a0Tokito Oda<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Catherine Debrunner<\/strong>, who won five golds as well as the Berlin and London Marathons.<\/p>\n An innate ability to overcome extreme adversity is the common thread running between our athletes nominated for the\u00a0Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award<\/em>. Gymnast\u00a0Rebeca Andrade<\/strong>\u00a0successfully battled through a tortuous struggle with anterior cruciate ligament injures to win gold in Paris. Ski racer\u00a0Lara Gut-Behrami<\/strong>\u00a0and swimmer\u00a0Ariarne Titmus<\/strong>, who defended her Olympic 400m freestyle title shortly after underdoing surgery to remove a tumor on her ovary, are also nominated.<\/p>\n The full list of Nominees is:<\/p>\n LAUREUS WORLD SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD<\/strong><\/p>\n Carlos Alcaraz<\/strong>\u00a0(Spain) Tennis – Won the French Open, Wimbledon and the Olympic silver medal<\/p>\n Mondo Duplantis<\/strong>\u00a0(Sweden) Athletics – retained Olympic pole vault title; at the point of nomination had broken the world record 10 times, since making it 11 times.<\/p>\n L\u00e9on Marchand<\/strong>\u00a0(France) Swimming – won four individual gold medals at the Paris Olympics<\/p>\n Tadej Poga\u010dar<\/strong>\u00a0(Slovenia) Cycling – 25 wins, including Tour de France, Giro d\u2019Italia and World Championship<\/p>\n Max Verstappen<\/strong>\u00a0(Netherlands) Motor Racing – won a fourth successive Formula One World Championship<\/p>\n LAUREUS WORLD SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD<\/strong><\/p>\n Simone Biles<\/strong>\u00a0(USA) Gymnastics – impressive return to Olympic stage with three golds and a silver in Paris<\/p>\n Aitana Bonmat\u00ed<\/strong>\u00a0(Spain) Football – second straight Ballon d\u2019Or Feminin as Barcelona won Champions League, Liga F and Copa de la Reina<\/p>\n Sifan Hassan<\/strong>\u00a0(Netherlands) Athletics – bronze in 5,000m and 10,000m plus marathon gold in Paris<\/p>\n Faith Kipyegon<\/strong>\u00a0(Kenya) Athletics – became the only three-time Olympic champion in 1,500 metres in Paris<\/p>\n Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone<\/strong>\u00a0(USA) Athletics – Olympic golds in 400m hurdles and 4 x 400m relay<\/p>\n Aryna Sabalenka<\/strong>\u00a0Tennis – won Australian and US Opens; became World No.1 in singles and doubles<\/p>\n LAUREUS WORLD TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD<\/strong><\/p>\n FC Barcelona Women\u2019s Team<\/strong>\u00a0(Spain)\u00a0Football – won Champions League, Liga F and the Copa de la Reina<\/p>\n Boston Celtics<\/strong>\u00a0(USA) Basketball – claimed a record 18th NBA title, one more than their old rivals LA Lakers<\/p>\n McLaren Formula One Team<\/strong>\u00a0(UK) Formula One – secured their first World Constructors\u2019 Championship since 1998<\/p>\n Real Madrid (<\/strong>Spain) Football\u00a0<\/strong>–\u00a0<\/strong>won 15th Champions League\/European Cup, La Liga and Supercopa de Espa\u00f1a<\/p>\n Spain Men\u2019s Football Team<\/strong>\u00a0– became most successful team in European Championship history with fourth win<\/p>\n USA Basketball Men’s National Team\u00a0<\/strong>– claimed USA\u2019s fifth straight Olympic gold to emulate the famous Dream Team<\/p>\n <\/p>\n LAUREUS WORLD BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR AWARD<\/strong><\/p>\n Julien Alfred<\/strong>\u00a0(St Lucia) Athletics – won 100m in debut Olympics to take home St Lucia\u2019s first-ever Olympic gold<\/p>\n Bayer 04 Leverkusen<\/strong>\u00a0(Germany) Football – Bundesliga champions for first time in their 120-year history after unbeaten season<\/p>\n Summer McIntosh<\/strong>\u00a0(Canada) Swimming – won three individual golds and a silver in Paris<\/p>\n Letsile Tebogo<\/strong>\u00a0(Botswana) Athletics – won 200m gold medal, Botswana\u2019s first-ever Olympic gold medal<\/p>\n Victor Wembanyama<\/strong>\u00a0(France) Basketball – San Antonio Spurs centre won the NBA Rookie of the Year<\/p>\n Lamine Yamal<\/strong>\u00a0(Spain) Football – named Best Young Player as Spain won the European Championships<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n LAUREUS WORLD COMEBACK OF THE YEAR AWARD<\/strong><\/p>\n Rebeca Andrade<\/strong>\u00a0(Brazil) Gymnastics – battling back from injury, she won Olympic gold, two silvers and bronze<\/p>\n Caeleb Dressel<\/strong>\u00a0(USA) Swimming – overcame mental health issues to win two relay golds and a silver in Paris<\/p>\n Lara Gut-Behrami<\/strong>\u00a0(Switzerland) Alpine Skiing – won overall World Cup title for first time since 2015\/16 season<\/p>\n Marc M\u00e1rquez<\/strong>\u00a0(Spain) Motor Cycling –\u00a0returned from serious injury to win three Grand Prix in 2024<\/p>\n Rishabh Pan<\/strong>t (India) Cricket – 629 days after a life-threatening car crash, returned to play for India Test team <\/p>\n LAUREUS WORLD ACTION SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD<\/strong><\/p>\n Yuto Horigome<\/strong>\u00a0(Japan) Skateboarding – landed best trick of street competition to secure back-to-back Olympic golds<\/p>\n Chloe Kim<\/strong>\u00a0(USA) Snowboarding – won her seventh X-Games superpipe gold medal<\/p>\n Caroline Marks<\/strong>\u00a0(USA) Surfing – 22-year-old won the Olympic surfing gold in Tahiti<\/p>\n Aleksandra Miroslaw<\/strong>\u00a0(Poland) Speed Climbing – set two world records on her way to Paris gold<\/p>\n Tom Pidcock<\/strong>\u00a0(UK) Mountain Biking – won back-to-back Olympic titles in the cyclo-cross discipline<\/p>\n Arisa Trew<\/strong>\u00a0(Australia) Skateboarding – became Australia\u2019s youngest-ever Olympic champion, aged 14<\/p>\n <\/p>\n LAUREUS WORLD SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR WITH A DISABILITY AWARD<\/strong><\/p>\n Catherine Debrunner<\/strong>\u00a0(Switzerland) Athletics – won five gold medals and a silver at the Paris Paralympics<\/p>\n Teresa Perales<\/strong>\u00a0(Spain) Swimming – won bronze in Paris, to take her Paralympic medal haul to 28<\/p>\n Tokito Oda<\/strong>\u00a0(Japan) Wheelchair Tennis – came from match point down to become youngest-ever Paralympic singles winner<\/p>\n Matt Stutzman<\/strong>\u00a0(USA) Archery – became first-ever armless para-archery champion to win Olympic gold<\/p>\n Jiang Yuyan<\/strong>\u00a0(China) Swimming – most-decorated athlete at Paralympics, she won seven golds from seven events<\/p>\n Qu Zimo<\/strong>\u00a0(China) Wheelchair Badminton – won three golds at World Championship, then two more in Paris<\/p>\n <\/p>\n LAUREUS SPORT FOR GOOD AWARD\u202f\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Programmes nominated by a specialist selection panel; Laureus Academy select the winner\u202f\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Kick4life<\/strong>\u00a0(Lesotho) Football x Gender Equity – uses football to reach at-risk children and young people<\/p>\n Figure Skating in Harlem<\/strong>\u00a0(USA) Figure Skating x Racial Equity – help girls transform their lives through figure skating<\/p>\n Kind Surf<\/strong>\u00a0(Spain) Surfing x Inclusion – uses surf therapy to support young people at risk of social exclusion due to intellectual disabilities<\/p>\n Liberi Nantes<\/strong>\u00a0(Italy) Football x Social Inclusion \u2013 offers wide range of sporting activities for refugees and political asylum seekers<\/p>\n Paris Basket 18<\/strong>\u00a0(France) Basketball x Gender Equity – focuses on development of women\u2019s sport, and promotes social integration<\/p>\n Street League<\/strong>\u00a0(UK) Multi-sport x Employability – uses the power of sport to help young people aged 14-30 prepare for employment and training opportunities<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards have announced their finalists. The list of contenders for the\u00a0Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award\u00a0is a who\u2019s who of sporting royalty, including France\u2019s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3915,"featured_media":594391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10],"tags":[65138,35724,57140,77336,120547],"class_list":["post-606191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-ariarne-titmus","tag-caeleb-dressel","tag-laureus","tag-leon-marchand","tag-summer-mcintosh"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n
\nAriarne Titmus<\/strong>\u00a0(Australia) Swimming – defended her Olympic 400m freestyle title\u00a0less than year after being diagnosed with a tumour<\/p>\n