RIO DE JANEIRO, February 12, 2013 – 2012 Olympic all-around champion Gabby Douglas of Virginia Beach, Va./Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance, is nominated for the
Laureus World Sports Breakthrough of the Year Award in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro will become the focus of the sporting world just one month
from today when the Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony takes place in
the vibrant Brazilian city.
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;
MornA A(C) 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 Aca