Olympic champions Simone Biles, Mondo Duplantis, Leon Marchand, Faith Kipyegon, Sifan Hassan, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone are shining brightly on the shortlist for the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards this year.
Simone Biles, hailing from the U.S., holds the title as the world’s most decorated gymnast. She has clinched this women’s award three times in the past and was celebrated with the comeback award just last year. Her performance in Paris was nothing short of spectacular, as she snagged three gold medals in the team, all-around, and vault categories, as well as a silver on the floor—bringing her Olympic medal tally to an impressive eleven.
Biles isn’t the only athlete making waves; she’s accompanied on the list by fellow American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the reigning 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay champion. Joining them are Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who stunningly secured her third 1500m title, and Dutch marathon queen Sifan Hassan. Completing this lineup is last year’s winner, Spanish football star Aitana Bonmati, alongside tennis world number one, Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus.
On the men’s side, we have the phenomenal pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, who continues to impress after retaining his Olympic crown and shattering world records a staggering 11 times. Likewise, swimmer Leon Marchand made waves by bagging four golds at his home Games last year.
This year’s men’s category also sees Formula 1 genius Max Verstappen, who clinched his fourth consecutive title in 2023. Joining him is Slovenian cycling ace Tadej Pogacar, triumphant in the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and securing a world title. Not to be outdone, Spanish tennis prodigy Carlos Alcaraz dazzled with Grand Slam victories at both the French Open and Wimbledon.
An unexpected twist came with Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz’s tennis adversary, as his nomination was pulled back last week following a three-month doping suspension.
