Kipchoge Up Against Global Superstars For Laureus Sportsman Award

NAIROBI, Kenya- Award-laden Olympic champion world marathon record holder, Eliud Kipchoge, is among seven global stars nominated for the hotly contested Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award.

The pre-eminent international sports awards will be awarded during the February 18 gala in Monaco, the Principality of Monaco where Kipchoge was honoured as the 2018 IAAF World Male Athlete of the Year on December 4.

“Honoured to be listed among these great athletes who all had such incredible performances!” Kipchoge, who set the astonishing 2:01:39 world record at the BMW Berlin Marathon on September 16 tweeted upon the release of the nominee list.

Kipchoge who was celebrated last Friday (January 11) as the Overall Sports Personality and Male Sportsperson of the Year at the 2018 Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Awards in Mombasa.

The three-time Berlin winner who also won the 2018 London Marathon where he came to within eight seconds of breaking the previous 2:02:57 standard set in 2014 also bagged the 2018 UN Person of the Year award to celebrate his imposing season.

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, tennis world No 1 Novak Djokovic and NBA great LeBron James join FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner Luka Modric and FIFA Best Young Player Kylian Mbappé in what promises to be a hotly contested Sportsman of the Year category.

Winter Olympic champions Ester Ledecka and Mikaela Shiffrin are joined in the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award category by celebrated gymnast and the first woman to win four All-Around world titles Simone Biles, Grand Slam tennis champions Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber and four-time Ironman world champion Daniela Ryf.

Football World Cup champions France are in contention for Laureus World Team of the Year.

After winning their fifth straight Formula One Constructors World Championship, Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team pick up their third nomination in a row for the same award. 

Joining them are three-in-a-row Champions League winners Real Madrid, Winter Olympic medal table-toppers Norway Winter Olympics Team, NBA champions Golden State Warriors and the victorious European Ryder Cup Team.

The Laureus World Sports Awards, recognise sporting achievement during 2018, are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar.

The winners, as voted for by the 66 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy.

Nominations lists

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) Athletics

Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Tennis

Lewis Hamilton (UK) Motor Racing

LeBron James (USA) Basketball

Kylian Mbappé (France) Football

Luka Modric (Croatia) Football

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

Simone Biles (USA) Gymnastics

Simona Halep (Romania) Tennis

Angelique Kerber (Germany) Tennis

Ester Ledecka (Czech Republic) Skiing / Snowboarding

Daniela Ryf (Switzerland) Ironman Triathlon

Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) Skiing

Laureus World Team of the Year

European Ryder Cup Team – Golf

France Men’s Football Team

Golden State Warriors (USA) Basketball

Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team (Germany)

Norway Winter Olympics Team

Real Madrid (Spain) Football

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year

Ana Carrasco (Spain) Motor Cycling

Sofia Goggia (Italy) Skiing

Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway) Athletics

Naomi Osaka (Japan) Tennis

Geraint Thomas (UK) Cycling

Briana Williams (Jamaica) Athletics

Laureus World Comeback of the Year

Yuzuru Hanyu (Japan) Skating

Mark McMorris (Canada) Snowboarding

Bibian Mentel-Spee (Netherlands) Snowboarding

Vinesh Phogat (India) Wrestling 

Lindsey Vonn (USA) Skiing

Tiger Woods (USA) Golf

Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability

Henrieta Farkasova (Slovakia) Skiing

Diede de Groot (Netherlands) Wheelchair Tennis

Brian McKeever (Canada) Cross-country Skiing

Oksana Masters (USA) Cross-country Skiing

Grigorios Polychronidis (Greece) Boccia

Markus Rehm (Germany) Athletics

Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year

Maya Gabeira (Brazil) Surfing

Anna Gasser (Austria) Snowboarding

Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) Surfing

Chloe Kim (USA) Snowboarding

Gabriel Medina (Brazil) Surfing

Shaun White (USA) Snowboarding