Sporting heavyweights for 2014 Laureus Awards

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Sporting achievements from the previous year have been accounted for when the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards nominees were announced on Wednesday. Considered as the Oscars for Sports, the academy of Laureus – comprising 46 sporting legends will decide the winners in seven separate categories. This year`s nominees are: World Sportsman of the Year: Usain Bolt (Jamaica), athletics; Mo Farah (Great Britain), athletics; LeBron James (United States), basketball; Rafael Nadal (Spain), tennis; Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) football; Sebastian Vettel (Germany), motor racing. World Sportswoman of the Year: Nadine Angerer (Germany), football; Missy Franklin (United States), swimming; Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica), athletics; Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia), athletics; Tina Maze (Slovenia), skiing; Serena Williams (United States), tennis World Team of the Year: All Blacks (New Zealand), Rugby Union; Bayern Munich (Germany), football; Brazil Men`s football Team; Bob and Mike Bryan (United States), tennis; Miami Heat (United States), basketball; Red Bull (Austria), motor racing. World Breakthrough of the Year: Afghanistan cricket team; Marc Marquez (Spain), Motor Cycling; Raphael Holzdeppe (Germany), Athletics; Nairo Quintana (Colombia), cycling; Justin Rose (United Kingdom), golf; Adam Scott (Australia) golf. World Comeback of the Year: Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia), athletics; Rafael Nadal (Spain), tennis; Oracle Team USA, sailing; Tony Parker (France), basketball; Ronaldinho (Brazil), football; Tiger Woods (United States), golf. World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Marie Bochet (France), skiing; Marcel Hug (Switzerland), wheelchair racing; Tatyana McFadden (United States), wheelchair racing; Sophie Pascoe (New Zealand), swimming; Sarah Louise Rung (Norway), swimming; Olga Sviderska (Ukraine), swimming. Action Sportsperson of the Year: Jamie Bestwick (United Kingdom) BMX; Bob Burnquist (Brazil) skateboarding; Mick Fanning (Australia), surfing; John John Florence (United States), surfing; Maya Gabeira (Brazil), surfing; Shaun White (United States), Snowboarding. The ceremony takes place in Kuala Lumpur on March 26.