GREAT SPORTING LEGENDS TO ATTEND LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS IN BERLIN

• Laureus Academy Members and Olympic champions Nadia Comaneci, Cathy Freeman, Edwin Moses, Steve Redgrave and Mark Spitz among guests
• Football stars Cafu, Alessandro Del Piero, Marcel Desailly, Luis Figo and Carles Puyol to attend Awards Ceremony
• Laureus World Sports Awards to be held in Berlin on April 18
• Apply for media accreditation at www.laureus.com/accreditation

BERLIN, March 23, 2016 – Berlin will be the focus of the sporting world when it stages the 2016 Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony on Monday, April 18.

Laureus World Sports Academy Members, including legendary Olympians such as Nadia Comaneci, Cathy Freeman, Edwin Moses, Steve Redgrave and Mark Spitz, football World Cup winners Cafu, Alessandro Del Piero, Marcel Desailly and Carles Puyol, boxing’s Marvelous Marvin Hagler, tennis greats Boris Becker and Martina Navratilova, and winter sports stars Franz Klammer, Alberto Tomba and Katarina Witt are among the early names to confirm that they will be attending.

The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier honours event on the international sporting calendar. The winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of more than 50 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be unveiled at the globally televised Awards Ceremony staged at the Messe Berlin Palais am Funkturm.

Among the Laureus Academy Members so far confirmed to be present in Berlin are:

The Laureus World Sports Awards supports Laureus Sport for Good by showcasing the incredible work it does to transform the lives of individuals and communities around the world by using the power of sport as a tool to combat challenging social issues. Since its inception, Laureus Sport for Good has raised over €100 million and supported over 150 projects worldwide which use sport to tackle violence, discrimination and disadvantage. Laureus Sport for Good has helped to improve the lives of millions of young people in over 35 countries and is proving that sport can change the world.  

The Awards Ceremony, attended by legends of sport past and present, celebrates the achievements of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of the year.

The full list of Nominees for the 2016 Laureus World Sports Awards is:

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award

Usain Bolt (Jamaica) Athletics, Stephen Curry (US) Basketball, Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Tennis, Lewis Hamilton (UK) Motor Racing, Lionel Messi (Argentina) Football, Jordan Spieth (US) Golf.

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award

Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia) Athletics, Anna Fenninger (Austria) Skiing, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) Athletics, Katie Ledecky (US) Swimming, Carli Lloyd (US) Football, Serena Williams (US) Tennis.

Laureus World Team of the Year Award

All Blacks (NZ) Rugby, FC Barcelona (Spain) Football, Golden State Warriors (US) Basketball, GB Davis Cup Team (Tennis), Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team (Germany), US Women’s Football Team.

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award

Chile Men’s Football Team, Jason Day (Australia) Golf, Tyson Fury (UK) Boxing, Adam Peaty (UK) Swimming, Jordan Spieth (US) Golf, Max Verstappen (Netherlands).

Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award

Dan Carter (NZ) Rugby, Jessica Ennis-Hill (UK) Athletics, Mick Fanning (Australia) Surfing, Michael Phelps (US) Swimmer, David Rudisha (Kenya) Athletics, Lindsey Vonn (US) Skiing.

Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award

Marie Bochet (France) Skiing, Liu Cuiqing (China) Athletics, Daniel Dias (Brazil) Swimming, Omara Durand (Cuba) Athletics, Pieter Du Preez (S.Africa) Athletics, Cycling, Leung Yuk Wing (China Hong Kong) Boccia.

Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award

Rachel Atherton (UK) Mountain Biking, Bob Burnquist (Brazil) Skateboard, Adriano de Souza (Brazil) Surfing, Mick Fanning (Australia) Surfing, Jan Frodeno (Germany) Ironman Triathlon, Chloe Kim (US) Snowboarding.

For more detailed biographies of Nominees, click here.

Among the sporting greats who have previously been named as winners of Laureus Awards over the last 16 years are Usain Bolt, Sebastian Coe, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Alex Ferguson, Lewis Hamilton, Kelly Holmes, Yao Ming, Rafael Nadal, Pelé, Steve Redgrave, Ronaldo, Michael Schumacher, Kelly Slater, Shaun White, Serena Williams and Zinedine Zidane.

Click here for more news about the Laureus World Sports Awards 2016

To apply for media accreditation, go to www.laureus.com/accreditation

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