Laureus World Sports Awards 2012: more Brits than Oscars (in photos)
THE Laureus World Sports Awards – London, in photos: Novak Djokovic was crowned the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year. We wondered what he’d do with the trophy. When the cameras click and the sportsmen stands before the serried ranks of media and holds his metal statue, muscle memory or madness takes hold. After much uncertainty, Djokovic pretended he was going to take a bite out of his sporting Oscar and the kissed it.
He then explained the secret of his success:
“Mental strength is something you gain after some time, playing at the top level, competing with the best in the world and trying to absorb every challenge that is presented and trying to take the best out of it, to learn and improve every day. The biggest change I felt in my overall game is the emotional stability.”
The Laureus World Sports Awards are billed as the Oscars of sport. Sports big AGM is sprinkled with stardust – Thandie Newton was there, so too Bar Refaeli, and the ubiquitous Tamara Ecclestone, who on account of attending pretty much every function the world over is a shoo-in to be voted Awards Ceremony Hair of the Year at the Mini Cab Driver of the Year Awards.
But this is sport without a ball in sight. It’s all suits, autocues and no glory. Sports stars get actually cups and medials – they get medals, like soldiers! – in their day jobs. The need to get another award at Central Hall Westminster is a hard sell.
Of course, a win’s a win. Second place is nowhere. And the fishing misses out again…
ALL THE WINNERS AND NOMINEES (including nine form Team GB – all men). Winners in bold::
World Sportsman of the Year: Usain Bolt, Novak Djokovic, Lionel Messi, Dirk Nowitzki, Sebastian Vettel, Cadel Evans
World Sportswoman of the Year: Vivian Cheruiyot, Maria Höfl-Riesch, Carmelita Jeter, Petra Kvitova, Homare Sawa, Yani Tseng
World Sports Team of the Year: All Blacks, FC Barcelona, Dallas Mavericks, England Cricket Team, Japan Women’s Football Team, Red Bull F1 team
World Breakthrough of the Year: Yohan Blake, Petra Kvitova, Rory McIlroy, Li Na, Oscar Pistorius, Mo Farah
World Comeback of the Year: Eric Abidal, Darren Clarke, Crusaders, Sergio Garcia, Liu Xiang, Queensland Reds
World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Daniel Dias, Terezinha Guilhermina, Oscar Pistorius, Esther Vergeer, David Weir, Irek Zaripov
World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Jamie Bestwick, Philip Köster, Carissa Moore, Travis Rice, Kelly Slater, Shaun White
What is it?
The Laureus World Sports Academy is a unique association of 47 of the greatest living sports legends, who select the winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards and volunteer their time to support the charitable Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which works to improve the lives of children around the world.
The members of the Laureus Academy are: Giacomo Agostini, Marcus Allen, Franz Beckenbauer, Boris Becker, Sir Ian Botham, Sergey Bubka, Sir Bobby Charlton, Lord Coe, Nadia Comaneci, Yaping Deng, Marcel Desailly, Kapil Dev, Mick Doohan, David Douillet, Emerson Fittipaldi, Sean Fitzpatrick, Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman, Baroness Grey-Thompson, Marvin Hagler, Mika Hakkinen, Tony Hawk, Mike Horn, Miguel Induraín, Michael Johnson, Kip Keino, Franz Klammer, Dan Marino, John McEnroe, Edwin Moses (chairman, left), Nawal El Moutawakel, Robby Naish, Ilie Nastase, Martina Navratilova, Alexey Nemov, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Morné du Plessis, Hugo Porta, Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Vivian Richards, Monica Seles, Mark Spitz, Daley Thompson, Alberto Tomba, Steve Waugh and Katarina Witt.
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Posted: 7th, February 2012 | In: Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
