Berlin [Germany], Jan 15 : Three-time Laureus award winner and world number one tennis star Rafael Nadal is in contention for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award alongside six-time Formula 1 World champion Lewis Hamilton, six-time World MotoGP champion Marc Marquez and six-time FIFA World Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi.
Eliud Kipchoge, the first athlete to run a marathon in under two hours and golf legend Tiger Woods, who won his 15th Major Championship at The Masters are also nominated.
In the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year category, FIFA Women’s World Cup Golden Ball and Golden Boot winner Megan Rapinoe is joined by gymnastic great Simone Biles, track and field stars Allyson Felix and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the first Asian tennis player to be ranked number one in the world Naomi Osaka and US skiing great Mikaela Shiffrin.
FIFA Women’s World Cup champions, US Women’s Football team and UEFA Champions League winners Liverpool FC are the football nominees in the Laureus World Team of the Year category.
Joining them are six-time Formula 1 Drivers and Constructors World Champions Mercedes AMG Petronas, Rugby World Cup champions South Africa, the first Canadian team to win the NBA Championship Toronto Raptors and two-time FIBA World Cup winners Spain Men’s Basketball Team.
Teenage tennis sensation Coco Gauff is joined in the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year category by Canadian tennis player and the first woman to win the US Open on her debut Bianca Andreescu, Colombia’s first-ever Tour de France winner Egan Bernal, Rugby World Cup trailblazers Japan Men’s Rugby Team, former unified heavyweight boxing champion Andy Ruiz Jr and US swimming star Regan Smith.
The Laureus World Comeback of the Year Nominees personify the true spirit, determination and tenacity of athletes who have overcome hurdles to return to the playing field. Andy Murray, who won his first ATP title in 31 months at the European Open following two hip operations, is in contention alongside UEFA Champions League semi-final comeback kings Liverpool, unusually nominated in two categories.
The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during 2019, are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners, as voted for by the 68 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, will be unveiled at the 2020 Laureus World Sports Awards in Berlin on February 17.
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