The Laureus World Sports Awards are widely considered the most prestigious sporting awards on the planet and the nominees were unveiled in Rio de Janeiro, where the ceremony itself will take place next year on March 11.

Athletics star Mo Farah is up for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award after winning the 5,000 and 10,000 metres double at the Olympics while Wiggins is also named after triumphing in the Tour de France and  then claiming time trial gold at London 2012.

But the pair face a formidable challenge as the shortlist for the prize also includes Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, American swimming icon Michael Phelps, Argentinian football star Lionel Messi and Germany's Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel.


Ennis heads the women's category after winning Olympic heptathlon gold medal while Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also makes the shortlist after successfully defending her 100m Olympic title.

The rest of the list is made up of American athletes with sprinter Allyson Felix, swimmer Missy Franklin, skier Lindsey Vonn and tennis star Serena Williams completing the shortlist.

The European Ryder Cup Team looks to have a strong chance in the Laureus World Team of the Year category after they beat the American golf team in an amazing final day fight back at Medinah.

The shortlist of the team award also includes China's Olympic table tennis team, the Miami Heat basketball team, the Red Bull Formula One Team, the Spanish men's football team and the United States men's basketball team.

The European Ryder Cup Team also feature in the Laureus World Comeback of the Year category alongside Ethiopian athlete Tirunesh Dibaba, South African golfer Ernie Els, Australian cyclist Anna Meares, Germany's men's Olympic eights team and 400 metre hurdler Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic.

Ian Poulter’s European Ryder Cup team are up for the World Team of the Year and World Comeback of the Year prizes after beating the America in an amazing fight back at Medinah

Britain's Murray is featured in the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year category after he won first Grand Slam at US Open and plus claimed Olympic gold and silver at London 2012 in the men's singles and mixed doubles respectively.

Also on the list for the prize is French swimmer Yannick Agnel, American gymnast Gabby Douglas, Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen and Grenadian sprinter Kirani James.

Finally, in the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability, wheelchair racing star Weir features after winning four gold medals at the Paralympics.

Also on the shortlist is Canadian wheelchair basketball player Patrick Anderson, Nambian sprinter Johanna Benson, Brazilian sprinter Alan Oliveira, Brazilian swimmer Daniel Dias and Italian hand cyclist Alex Zanardi.

"I always feel in an Olympic year that you are likely to see a strong group of potential Nominees and this year is certainly a great example of that," said Laureus World Sports Academy chairman Edwin Moses, who unveiled the nominees in Rio.


"The Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award particularly is going to be one of the closest contests ever when you look at the wonderful collection of names we have, with the likes of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps and newcomers like Mo Farah and Bradley Wiggins.

"But the list goes on, in every category.

"This is really the crème de la crème of sport."

The 2013 Laureus World Sports Awards will take place at the Municipal Theatre, a venue that has hosted major events such as the recent United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development and Rio +20.

It was also the venue for the speech of United States President Barack Obama on his visit to Brazil.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
September 2012: Rio to host 2013 and 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards