Celebrating sport achievements & its power to improve the world
Prince Albert, appropriately wearing a tuxedo with sport sneakers, attended the 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards (LWSA) in the splendid Salle des Etoiles at the Sporting Monte-Carlo in Monaco this past Monday, February 18, joining the cream of global sport, past, present and future. Since 2000 the Laureus celebrates sporting success and achievement over the previous calendar year, while also recognizing the true value sport can have in uniting communities and acting as a positive force for change all over the world.
(Photo:Â James Marsden taking a selfie on stage with Prince Albert & Award winners, WSLA 2019 @Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for Laureus)
Actor James Marsden, Star of X-Men and Westworld,co-hostedthe 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards in the Principality, together with Amanda Davies. Marsden made an impressive entrance by doing incredible cartwheels on the stage!
(Photo: MC James Marsden & co-host Amada Davies at 2019 LWSA @Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for Laureus)
The entertainment surely pleased the privileged guests with the performance of Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jorja Smith, and fantastic magician Julius Dein.
Each year celebrities from the music, film, TV and fashion fields join the best in sports, for a ceremony watched by hundreds of millions around the world. The talented accomplished contenders are nominated by the world’s media, with the winners selected by 68 legends of global sport: members of the Laureus World Sports Academy. Each winner receives the Laureus Statuette, crafted by Cartier, representing the striving human form against the engraved continents.
Complete list of Nominees of the 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards
World No. 1 tennis star Novak Djokovic, record-breaking gymnast Simone Biles who could not be present because she was hosting a gymnastic event in Houston, golfing legend Tiger Woods and the France Football Team were among the big winners at the 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards.
The talented WLSA 2019 Award Winners
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Tennis – Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award – Novak is the current ATP World No. 1 and this is the 4th Laureus Award for the Serb, who won Wimbledon and the US Open after coming back from injury.
When accepting his award from the hands of Prince Albert, Novak said: “A Laureus Award is what every athlete wants to win, and this one is a huge honour for me. Being among so many sporting greats here tonight, and hearing about the inspirational work Laureus is doing around the world, gives this Award a special meaning for me.
“Last year was an incredible season for me, returning from injury to win Wimbledon and the US Open is something I’ll remember forever. I am delighted and I would like to thank the Laureus Academy for their support.
”Simone Biles (USA) Gymnastics – Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award – The highly accomplished American artistic gymnast won 4 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals. At just 21, she now has a record 14 career world titles.
France Football World Cup Team– Team of the Year Award – Didier Deschamps proudly accepted the award on behalf of the team as recognition for their victory in the finals of the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Naomi Osaka (Japan) Tennis – Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award – The 21 year-old tennis player won the US Open, where she defeated five-time Laureus Award winner Serena Williams. She is now No. 1 in the world after recently winning the Australian Open, and is Japan’s first Laureus Award winner.
Tiger Woods (USA) Golf – Laureus Comeback of the Year Award – It was the third Laureus Award for Tiger, after 2000 and 2001. He was recognized this time around for winning the Tour Championship, his first win in 1,876 days, returning to the game after spinal fusion surgery.
Both Naomi Osaka and Tiger Woods accepted their awards via video conference as they could not be present due to previous sport commitments.
Henrieta Farkkasova & her Guide Natalia Subrtova (Slovakia) Skiing –  Laureus Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award – The alpine skier and her guide received the recognition after becoming the most decorated Winter Paralympian in Pyeongchang with four gold medals in vision-impaired Downhill, Giant Slalom, Super Combined and Super-G, plus silver in Slalom.
Chloe Kim (USA) Snowboarding – Action Sportsperson of the Year Award – At the 2018 Winter Olympics the American snowboarder became the youngest woman to win a medal in the women’s snowboard halfpipe at 17 years old. She is the current World, Olympic, Youth Olympic, and X Games champion in the halfpipe, and the first to win the title at all three major events.
XIA Boyu (China) – Laureus Sporting Moment of the Year Award – Celebrating sporting values such as fair play, sportsmanship, humanity, overcoming adversity, dedication and altruism. Fans around the world voted for their favorite Sporting Moment. Xia was recognized for his efforts in becoming only the second double-amputee to scale Everest, and the first to reach the summit from the Nepalese side.
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) – Laureus Academy Exceptional Achievement Award – The IAAD’s World Male Athlete of the Year was recognized for his past extraordinary performances. Kipchoge broke the world marathon record in Berlin last September, and received this discretionary award that has only been handed out three times previously in the history of the event; swimmer Michael Phelps in 2013, Chinese Tennis champion Li Na in 2015, and Italian football star Francesco Totti in 2018.
Arsene Wenger (Football coach France) – Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award – He was recognized for his longevity on the bench of Arsenal (1996-2018) leading “The Invincibles” to an entire season unbeaten, making a significant contribution to English football through his approach to scouting, training and diets, and his emphasis on an attacking mentality. Wenger received an outstanding ovation when receiving the award.
Lindsey Vonn (former alpine ski racer) – Laureus Spirit for Sport Award– Lyndsey deserves this recognition for being an incomparable champion with eight world cup titles. She has just announced her retirement from the sport she so much loves.
Yuwa (India) – Laureus Sport for Good Award– The non-governmental Indian organization promotes football to improved the life of underprivileged children, help them overcome violence and prevent arranged marriages, while promoting equality, empowerment and safety for young women and girls. (Photo: Neeta Kumari, Hema Kumari, Konika Kumari, Radha Kumari, and Franz Gastler and Rose Gastler of Yuwa Football Girls team with their award, LWSA 2019 @Boris Streubel/Getty Images for Laureus)
Today’s Quote
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.” The words of the first Laureus Patron, Nelson Mandela in 2000
Monaco Reporter 