South African sport is celebrating after receiving four nominations for the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards \u2013 the most prestigious honours in sport \u2013 following a vote by the world\u2019s media.<\/p>\n
The Springboks are nominated for this year\u2019s Laureus World Team of the Year Award following their momentous World Cup triumph over New Zealand in October. The captain of that side, Siya Kolisi, is nominated for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award, after recovering from a partial ligament tear to lead the Springboks to glory. Kirsten Neusch?fer is shortlisted for the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award, marking her extraordinary achievement of becoming the first female to win a solo round-the-world race via the three Great Capes. Rounding off the South African Nominees is Justice Desk Africa, a group in the running for the Laureus Sport for Good Award. <\/p>\n
Six Nominees have been selected in each category, and the names of the Winners will be revealed on April 22, following a vote by the Laureus World Sports Academy \u2013 the world\u2019s ultimate sports jury, made up of 69 of the greatest sporting legends of all time. <\/p>\n
In October, the Springboks became the first to win four Rugby World Cups by overcoming New Zealand 12-11 at the Stade de France. In a performance which epitomised the fighting spirit now synonymous with the side, the Springboks capped an outstanding tournament during which they battled past hosts France, and England, on their way to claiming back-to-back world titles.<\/p>\n
The Springboks are in contention for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award, alongside the Spain Women\u2019s Football Team, who won their first World Cup; treble-winners Manchester City; the European Ryder Cup Team, following their dominant victory over their American counterparts; the all-conquering Oracle Red Bull Racing Team, who delivered a second straight Formula One World Constructors\u2019 Championship, and the Germany Men\u2019s Basketball Team for their incredible FIBA Basketball World Cup victory.<\/p>\n
The shortlist for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award, and Sportsman of the Year, contain not only the outstanding athletes of 2023, but some of the greatest of all time. Last year\u2019s winner, Lionel Messi, is nominated once more in the latter category after an eighth Ballon d\u2019Or, alongside sportsmen including Novak Djokovic, who won three Grand Slams in 2023, Max Verstappen after a third straight world championship in Formula One and Noah Lyles, world champion over 100 and 200 metres, plus the 4×100 metre relay. In the Sportswoman of the Year category, the Nominees include tennis\u2019s World No.1 Iga Swiatek, Aitana Bonmat\u00ed, the star of Spain\u2019s FIFA World Cup win, and Mikaela Shiffrin, who became the all-time leader in World Cup wins in alpine skiing.<\/p>\n
Siya Kolisi\u2019s part in the Springboks\u2019 success was even more remarkable due to the individual obstacles he had to overcome on the journey to that crowning moment. After a partial tear of his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in April 2023, Kolisi\u2019s World Cup dream appeared to be over. However, unwilling to accept his fate, he underwent surgery before embarking on a punishing programme of physical rehabilitation and, just 119 days after the operation, Kolisi led his side out in their tournament opener against Scotland. He has been nominated for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award, alongside gymnast Simone Biles, who collected four gold medals at the World Championships after taking time away from the spotlight to prioritise her mental health; S\u00e9bastien Haller, the Borussia Dortmund striker who returned to the pitch just months after being diagnosed with testicular cancer; Denver Nuggets basketball star, Jamal Murray, who spent 18 months on the sidelines with an ACL tear before shining in the NBA playoffs; Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who bravely battled back from a series of injuries to win a heptathlon world title in Budapest, and tennis sensation Mark\u00e9ta Vondrou\u0161ov\u00e1, who became the lowest-ranked winner at Wimbledon during the Open era after missing most of the previous year with a wrist injury.<\/p>\n
Siya Kolisi said: \u201cThis is such an overwhelming moment for me \u2013 to be nominated with the Springboks for Laureus Team of the Year, and also individually for Comeback of the Year. I know just what it means to win a Laureus Award. I was lucky enough to be captain of the Springboks in 2019 when we won the World Cup, and as a result the following year we won Laureus Team of the Year. I\u2019m hoping we can win it again, as always it is a formidable group of teams nominated this year, including Manchester City, Spain\u2019s Women\u2019s World Cup winners and Oracle Red Bull Racing. It was a close thing whether I would recover from injury in time to play in the Rugby World Cup. I made it, so it\u2019s a very special personal moment for me to receive my Nomination.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Golden Globe Race is one-of-a-kind, restricting its solo sailors to technology from no later than 1968. For most competitors, this challenge is big enough. Kirsten Neusch?fer, however, is not like most competitors. she diverted midway through her own race to rescue fellow competitor, Tapio Lehtinen, whose boat had sunk, before eventually crossing the finishing line after more than 235 days at sea to complete a thrilling adventure. Her awe-inspiring achievements have been recognised in her nomination for the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award. She features alongside BMX cyclist Beth Shriever, who reclaimed her world title at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, while surfing duo Filipe Toledo and Caroline Marks are also nominated for their respective World Surf League triumphs. Street skateboarder Rayssa Leal is a Nominee for the second straight year after winning three major titles in a wonderful season. She is joined on the shortlist by 13-year-old Arisa Trew, who became the first woman skater to land a 720 (two full rotations) in vert skateboarding.<\/p>\n
Nominees for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award include Jude Bellingham, who began his Real Madrid career with 10 goals in 10 starts; Coco Gauff, who won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open, at the age of 19, and Qin Haiyang, who swept the breaststroke events (50, 100 and 200 metres) at the World Aquatics Championships. <\/p>\n
Each year the Laureus Sport for Good Award recognises a community sports-based programme which has helped to improve the lives of young people and bring communities together. Five inspirational and transformational programmes have been shortlisted by a specialist selection panel.<\/p>\n
The shortlist for this Award includes Justice Desk Africa, a programme based in Cape Town that empowers young people in South Africa to understand and defend their human rights. This vital project provides girls with essential mental health support, as well as self-defence classes and leadership sessions. The shortlist also features Bola Pra Frente, a programme using sport to develop life skills and empower youth in communities in Rio de Janeiro; Fundaci\u00f3n Rafa Nadal, which uses sport and education to empower vulnerable young people in Spain and India, and Dancing Grounds, a New Orleans-based programme that connects dance and creativity with social justice issues. The nominations are completed by the ISF Cambodia, which aims to provide a route out of poverty in urban slums and rural communities, and Obiettivo Napoli, which works with over 100 boys and girls facing exclusion and economic difficulties in the Italian city.<\/p>\n
The full list of Nominees is: <\/p>\n
LAUREUS WORLD SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD <\/strong> <\/p>\n Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Tennis \u2013 won three Grand Slams, finishing 2023 with a record-equalling 24 <\/p>\n Mondo Duplantis (Sweden) Athletics \u2013 twice improved his own world pole vault record and won a second world title <\/p>\n Erling Haaland (Norway) Football \u2013 his 52 goals spearheaded Manchester City\u2019s treble season <\/p>\n Noah Lyles (USA) Athletics \u2013 won the 100, 200 and 4 x 100 metres relay at the World Athletics Championships <\/p>\n Lionel Messi (Argentina) Football \u2013 a record eighth Ballon d\u2019Or and a record 44th trophy win <\/p>\n Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Motor Racing \u2013 completed a hat-trick of Formula One World Championships <\/p>\n LAUREUS WORLD SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD <\/strong> <\/p>\n Aitana Bonmat\u00ed (Spain) Football \u2013 won the World Cup, Champions League and Liga F \u2013 plus Ballon d\u2019Or F\u00e9minin. Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) Athletics \u2013 won 200 metre gold at the World Championships <\/p>\n Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) Athletics \u2013 first woman to win 1 500 and 5 000 m double at the World Championships <\/p>\n Sha\u2019Carri Richardson (USA) Athletics \u2013 golds in 100 and 4 x 100 m relay <\/p>\n Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) Alpine Skiing \u2013 became the all-time leader in World Cup wins <\/p>\n Iga Swiatek (Poland) Tennis \u2013 won a third French Open and regained World No.1 spot at WTA Finals <\/p>\n LAUREUS WORLD TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD <\/strong> <\/p>\n European Ryder Cup Team \u2013 Golf \u2013 regained trophy with dominant display in Rome <\/p>\n Germany Men\u2019s Basketball Team \u2013 FIBA World Cup champions after shock wins over USA and Serbia <\/p>\n Manchester City (UK) Football \u2013 treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League <\/p>\n Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula One Team (Austria) \u2013 second consecutive constructors\u2019 title after winning all but one race <\/p>\n Springboks (South Africa) Rugby \u2013 winners of a record fourth men\u2019s World Cup <\/p>\n Spain Women\u2019s Football Team \u2013 World Cup winners after a game-changing tournament in Australia <\/p>\n LAUREUS WORLD BREAKTHROUGH OF THE YEAR AWARD<\/strong> <\/p>\n Jude Bellingham (UK) Football \u2013 winner of Golden Boy Award for Real Madrid\u2019s new star <\/p>\n Linda Caicedo (Colombia) Football \u2013 played in under-17, under-20 and senior World Cup in the same year <\/p>\n Coco Gauff (USA) Tennis \u2013 maiden Grand Slam title came in US Open, aged 19 <\/p>\n Qin Haiyang (China) Swimming \u2013 swept the breaststroke events (50, 100 & 200 metres) at World Championships <\/p>\n Josh Kerr (UK) Athletics \u2013 stunned favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win 1,500 metre world title <\/p>\n Salma Paralluelo (Spain) Football \u2013 FIFA Young Player Award winner for best young footballer at the World Cup <\/p>\n LAUREUS WORLD COMEBACK OF THE YEAR AWARD <\/strong> <\/p>\n Simone Biles (USA) Gymnastics \u2013 after a two-year absence, returned to win four World Championship golds <\/p>\n S\u00e9bastien Haller (Ivory Coast) Football \u2013 recovered from cancer diagnosis to return for Borussia Dortmund <\/p>\n Katarina Johnson-Thompson (UK) Athletics \u2013 won heptathlon gold at World Championships after multiple injuries <\/p>\n Siya Kolisi (South Africa) Rugby \u2013 came back from ACL tear to lead his country to World Cup glory <\/p>\n Jamal Murray (Canada) Basketball \u2013 after 18 months out, won NBA Championship with Denver <\/p>\n Mark\u00e9ta Vondrou\u0161ov\u00e1 (Czech Republic) Tennis \u2013 won Wimbledon as an unseeded player after a series of injuries <\/p>\n LAUREUS SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR WITH A DISABILITY AWARD <\/strong> <\/p>\n Simone Barlaam (Italy) Swimming \u2013 six golds at the Para Swimming World Championships <\/p>\n Danylo Chufarov (Ukraine) Swimming \u2013 two world records, three golds at the Para Swimming World Championships <\/p>\n Diede de Groot (Netherlands) Tennis \u2013 third successive calendar Grand Slam in wheelchair tennis <\/p>\n Luca Ekler (Hungary) Athletics \u2013 golds in 200 and 400 metres, plus long jump, at the Para Athletics World Championships <\/p>\n Nicole Murray (New Zealand) Cycling \u2013 a champion on the road and the track in 2023 <\/p>\n Markus Rehm (Germany) Athletics \u2013 a sixth world title and a 14th world record for the long jumper <\/p>\n LAUREUS WORLD ACTION SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD<\/strong> <\/p>\n Rayssa Leal (Brazil) Skateboarding \u2013 street golds at three major championships in 2023 <\/p>\n Caroline Marks (USA) Surfing \u2013 first world title for emerging superstar <\/p>\n Kirsten Neusch?fer (South Africa) Sailing \u2013 first woman to win a solo round-the-world race via three great capes <\/p>\n Bethany Shriever (UK) BMX \u2013 regained her world title in Glasgow <\/p>\n Filipe Toledo (Brazil) Surfing \u2013 defended his world title in California <\/p>\n Arisa Trew (Australia) Skateboarding \u2013 13-year-old became first skateboarder to land 720 in competition <\/p>\n LAUREUS SPORT FOR GOOD AWARD <\/strong> <\/p>\n Programmes nominated by a specialist selection panel; Laureus Academy select the winner <\/p>\n Bola Pra Frente (Brazil) Multi-sport x Employability \u2013 using sport and education to increase opportunities for youth <\/p>\n Dancing Grounds (USA) Dancing x Social Integration \u2013 advocating for social justice through dance <\/p>\n Fundaci\u00f3n Rafa Nadal (Spain) Tennis x Education \u2013 using sport in Mallorca and India to empower young people <\/p>\n ISF Cambodia Football x Education \u2013 breaking the cycle of poverty through the power of football <\/p>\n Justice Desk Africa (South Africa) Multi-sport x Human Rights \u2013 empowering youth to defend their human rights through sport <\/p>\n Obiettivo Napoli (Italy) Multi-sport x Inclusion \u2013 developing social skills in young people experiencing exclusion and hardship <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" South African sport is celebrating after receiving four nominations for the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards \u2013 the most prestigious honours in sport \u2013 following a vote by the world\u2019s media.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":46826,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"d8ad307f-60e0-447e-9e00-22b159e4fc85","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[],"tags":[7978],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-46824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-wellington"],"yoast_head":"\n