Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman Edwin Moses will be leading a glittering collection of his fellow Academy Members and Ambassadors at the Awards, including no fewer than 15 Olympic and Paralympic gold medal winners plus many former world champions from the major sports.
The Laureus World Sports Awards are the premier honors on the international sporting calendar. The winners, as voted by the Laureus Academy, the ultimate sports jury, will be unveiled at a globally televised Awards Ceremony at the Theatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro.
Among the Laureus Academy Members and Ambassadors attending are:
Giacomo Agostini; Dawn Fraser; Edwin Moses; Franz Beckenbauer; Cathy Freeman; Nawal El Moutawakel; Boris Becker; Tanni Grey-Thompson; Ilie Nastase; Annabelle Bond; Ruud Gullit; Martina Navratilova; Sebastian Coe; Marvelous Marvin Hagler; Alexey Nemov; Nadia Comaneci; Mika Hakkinen; Morné du Plessis; Deco; Tony Hawk; Steve Redgrave; Yaping Deng; Eduardo Heguy; Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario; Marcel Desailly; Mike Horn; John Smit; Kapil Dev; Michael Johnson; Daley Thompson; Emerson Fittipaldi; Kip Keino; Steve Waugh; Sean Fitzpatrick andFranz Klammer.
"I am delighted that so many members of the Laureus Family will be there to salute the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of the year at this very special event," said two time Olympic Champion Edwin Moses, who is also the Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy. "Brazil is one of the most exciting nations on Earth and Rio will become the center of the sporting world over the next few years as it builds up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I know sport is a passion for everyone in Brazil and it is great for Laureus that we are able to go to Rio for the Awards and be part of the celebrations there."
Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which supports over 140 community sports projects around the world. Since its inception, Laureus has raised €60 million for projects which have improved the lives of more than one-and-a-half million young people.
The Laureus World Sports Awards will enhance the calendar of major global events that Rio de Janeiro is hosting in the coming years, such as the 2013 World Judo Championship, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Rio is the birthplace of sport and culture in Brazil, a state of vibrant energy and natural beauty that has become a showcase of the country to the world.
Among the winners who have received Awards at previous Award Ceremonies have been Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Alex Ferguson, Lewis Hamilton, Justine Henin, Kelly Holmes, Rafael Nadal, Oscar Pistorius, Steve Redgrave, Ronaldo, Michael Schumacher, Kelly Slater, Serena Williams and Zinedine Zidane. Guests attending the Awards Ceremony have included His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain, HSH Prince Albert of Monaco, David and Victoria Beckham, Sean Connery, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Morgan Freeman, Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey.
The full list of Nominees for the 2013 Laureus World Sports Awards is:
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year
Usain Bolt (Jamaica) Track and Field; Mo Farah (UK) Track and Field;
Lionel Messi (Argentina) Football; Michael Phelps (US) Swimming;
Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Motor Racing; Bradley Wiggins (UK) Cycling
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
Jessica Ennis (UK) Track and Field; Allyson Felix (US) Track and Field:
Missy Franklin (US) Swimming; Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) Track and
Field; Lindsey Vonn (US) Skiing; Serena Williams (US) Tennis
Laureus World Team of the Year
China Olympic Table Tennis Team; European Ryder Cup Team; Miami Heat (US)
Basketball; Red Bull Formula One Team (Austria); Spain Men's Football
Team; US Men's Basketball Team
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year
Yannick Agnel (France) Swimming; Gabby Douglas (US) Gymnastics; Kirani
James (Grenada) Track and Field: Andy Murray (UK) Tennis; Neymar (Brazil)
Football; Ye Shiwen (China) Swimming
Laureus World Comeback of the Year
Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) Track and Field; Ernie Els (South Africa)
Golf; European Ryder Cup Team; Anna Meares (Australia) Cycling; Felix
Sanchez (Dominican Republic) Track and Field; Germany Men's Olympic
Eights Rowing Team.
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability
Patrick Anderson (Canada) Wheelchair Basketball; Johanna Benson (Namibia)
Track and Field; Daniel de Faria Dias (Brazil) Swimming; Alan Fonteles
Oliveira (Brazil) Track and Field; David Weir (United Kingdom) Wheelchair
Racing; Alex Zanardi (Italy) Hand Cycling
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year
Felix Baumgartner (Austria) Skydiving; Jamie Bestwick (UK) BMX; Julie
Bresset (France) Mountain Biking; Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) Surfing;
Joel Parkinson (Australia) Surfing; Philip Köster (Germany) Windsurfing
For more detailed biographies of Nominees go to www.laureus.com.
