Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Neeraj Chopra nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards
Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has been nominated for the prestigious Laureus Sports Award. The 24-year-old has been selected as one of six nominees for the 2022 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award.
The other five athletes nominated for the award are Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev, British tennis star Emma Raducanu, Barcelona and Spain footballer Pedri, the Venezuelan athlete. Yulimar Rojas and Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus.
He is only the third Indian athlete to be nominated for the Laureus Award after wrestler Vinesh Phogat in 2019 and cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who won the Laureus Sporting Moment Award 2000-2020.
The full list of nominees
Laureus Award for World Sportsman of the Year
Tom Brady (USA) American football – the greatest quarterback in the NFL, he won a record seventh Super Bowl
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Tennis – won three Grand Slams in 2021 to take his career win tally to 20
Caeleb Dressel (USA) Swimming – outstanding swimmer in Tokyo with five Olympic gold medals
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) Athletics – became the third person in history to win consecutive Olympic marathons
Robert Lewandowski (Poland) Football – surpassed Gerd Muller’s record of 40 goals in a season for Bayern
Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Motor Racing – won his first Formula 1 World Championship in 2021
Laureus Award for Global Sportswoman of the Year
Ashleigh Barty (Australia) Tennis – world No. 1, won Wimbledon, her second career Grand Slam
Allyson Felix (USA) Athletics – overtook Carl Lewis as the most decorated US Olympian in athletics
Katie Ledecky (USA) Swimming – won gold in the 800 and 1500 meter freestyle in Tokyo, plus two silvers
Emma McKeon (Australia) Swimming – won four gold and three bronze in Tokyo, the most by an individual
Alexia Putellas (Spain) Football – Captain of Barcelona; won Ballon d’Or and UEFA Women’s Player of the Year
Elaine Thompson-Herah (Jamaica) Athletics – won the Olympic 100 and 200 meters and the 4x100m relay
Laureus Award for World Team of the Year
Argentina men’s football team – won the Copa America; Lionel Messi’s first international trophy, at 34
Barcelona women’s football team (Spain) – won the inaugural Champions League by beating English club Chelsea 4-0 China Olympic Diving Team – won gold medals in seven of the eight events held in the Tokyo swimming pool
The Italian men’s soccer team – under Roberto Mancini won the European Championship for the first time since 1968 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team (Germany) – won a record eighth Constructors’ Championship
Milwaukee Bucks (USA) Basketball – inspired by Giannis Antetokounmpo, won a second NBA championship
Laureus Award for Global Breakthrough of the Year
Neeraj Chopra (India) Athletics – won the javelin to become the first Indian winner of an Olympic gold medal in athletics
Daniil Medvedev (Russia) Tennis – won his first-ever Grand Slam, losing a single set at the US Open
Pedri (Spain) Football – 19, played 53 times in 2020/21 for Barcelona, and every game for Spain at Euro 2020
Emma Raducanu (UK) Tennis – became a global sensation when she won the US Open aged 18
Yulimar Rojas (Venezuela) Athletics – broke the 26-year-old world record to win triple jump gold in Tokyo
Ariarne Titmus (Australia) Swimming – 20, beat champion Katie Ledecky in 200 and 400m in Tokyo
Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award
Simone Biles (USA) Gymnastics – after dropping out in Tokyo, she came back to win bronze on beam
Sky Brown (UK) Skateboarder – 13, recovered from a fractured skull to win bronze in Tokyo
Mark Cavendish (UK) Cycling – fought back from depression to claim second Tour de France sprint title
Tom Daley (UK) Diving – had knee surgery in June but won gold in the 10m synchronized in Tokyo
Marc Márquez (Spain) Motor Cycling – first victory in 581 days, after recovering from a broken arm in early 2020
Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands) Cycling – won the Olympic time trial days after missing out on gold in the road race
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award
Diede De Groot (Netherlands) Wheelchair tennis – first player to complete the Golden Slam of the calendar year
Marcel Hug (Switzerland) Wheelchair athletics – won Paralympic gold medals in 800, 1500, 5000m and marathon
Shingo Kunieda (Japan) Wheelchair tennis – host country hero, won the fourth Paralympic gold of his career
Jetze Plat (Netherlands) Para-cycling/Paratriathlon – won three Paralympic gold medals in two sports
Susana Rodríguez (Spain) Para Triathlon – won gold in Tokyo in the PTVI triathlon, her first Paralympic medal
Sarah Storey (UK) Para-cycling – won three gold medals from three events to take her career tally to 17
Laureus Award for Global Action Sportsman of the Year
Ítalo Ferreira (Brazil) Surfing – in Tokyo became the first Olympic gold medalist in surfing
Alberto Ginés (Spain) Climbing – 18, scaled a 15m wall in 6.42 seconds to win speed climbing gold
Yuto Horigome (Japan) Skateboarding – won the first ever Olympic gold medal in skateboarding much to the delight of the host country
Carissa Moore (USA) Surfing – won the first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s surfing, then added her fifth world title
Momiji Nishiya (Japan) Skateboarding – aged 13, won the first-ever Olympic gold medal in a women’s street event
Bethany Shriever (UK) BMX – first woman to win both Olympic and World Championship gold in the same year
LAUREUS Sport for Good Award
Ich Wil Da Rauf! (Germany) Climbing – Disabled and non-disabled share the challenge of the climbing wall
Juca pe Cagna (Italy) Multisports – provides safe places to play away from the influence of crime
Kick 4 Life (Lesotho) Football – supporting young people through health education and HIV testing
Lost Boyz Inc (USA) Baseball – uses baseball in Chicago to reduce violence and improve social conditions
Monkey Magic (Japan) Climbing – promotes free climbing for people with visual impairments
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