Jamaican sprint ace Usain Bolt has been nominated for what would be a record fourth Laureus Award, while US tennis player Serena Williams is also in the star-studded short-list, organisers said Wednesday.
Joining Bolt as nominees for the prestigious “Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award” are British distance runner Mo Farah, US basketball star LeBron James, tennis ace Rafael Nadal of Spain, Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo and German Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel.
Bolt has previously won a Laureus award in 2009, 2010 and 2013.
Besides Williams, the “Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year” could go to German football player Nadine Angerer, US swimmer Missy Franklin, Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia or Slovenian skier Tina Maze.
US golfer Tiger Woods has been nominated for “Laureus World Comeback of the Year”, together with Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho, Nadal, Isinbayeva and two others.
This year’s award ceremony will take place in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on March 26, after organisers shifted it from Rio De Janeiro, which hosted it in 2013.
The ceremony became the second international sport-linked event in recent months to relocate due to Brazilian authorities’ fears over potential protests against public spending on sports events.
Brazil will stage football’s World Cup this summer, while Rio de Janeiro hosts the 2016 Olympics.
The winners of the awards are chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, whose jury is made up of 46 sports stars.
Bolt won the male award last year, his third win, while British athletics queen Jessica Ennis won the top prize in the women’s category.