Laureus World Sports Awards: Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo in hunt for World Sportsman of The Year

Some of the world’s best male athletes, including tennis greats Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, will vie for this year’s Laureus World Sportsman of The Year award. Joining the tennis aces are Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, runner Mo Farah, cyclist Chris Froome and F1 driver Lewis Hamilton. The six were nominated after a ballot by the world’s sports media.

The World Sportsman of The Year award is handed to the sportsman who best demonstrates supreme athletic performance and achievement — such as consecutive or multiple world, continental, international or national and major championship titles or the establishment of world records or best performances. As Laureus’ India partners, Firstpost brings you the nominees for the World Sportsman of The Year award (listed in alphabetical order).

And the Nominees for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year are… #Laureus18 pic.twitter.com/Gn7FXRSbe5

— Laureus (@LaureusSport) January 16, 2018

Mo Farah (Athletics) 

In his final track season before switching to the marathon, he won the 10,000 metres gold and 5,000 metres silver medals in the World Championships in London. His 10k win was his sixth world title. Has also won the 5k/10k double twice in the Olympic Games.

Roger Federer (Tennis)

Won his fifth Australian Open and eighth Wimbledon title in 2017, becoming only the second man in the Open Era to win Wimbledon without dropping a set. Has now won a record 19 Grand Slam men’s singles titles. Also won the Sunshine Double — Indian Wells and Miami Masters. His victory in the Swiss Indoors in October was his 95th career title.

Chris Froome (Cycling)

Winner of the Tour de France for the third straight time, and the fourth time in five years. Only Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernhard Hinault and Miguel Indurain have won five. Just one month later he also won the Vuelta a España, becoming the first man to do the Tour-Vuelta double in the same year, since the Vuelta moved to its current position in the racing calendar.

Lewis Hamilton (Motor Racing)

Driving for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team, he won his fourth Formula One world title in 2017, equalling Sebastian Vettel and Alain Prost. Only Michael Schumacher (seven) and Juan Manuel Fangio (five) are ahead of him. He won nine Grand Prix during the year and is now Britain’s most successful F1 driver, having overtaken Jackie Stewart who won three.

Rafael Nadal (Tennis)

Nadal won two Grand Slam tournaments in a season for the first time since 2013, including a record 10th French Open, in which he only lost 35 games in seven matches. The Spaniard also won his third US Open. He is now second on the all-time list of Grand Slam winners with 16, overtaking Pete Sampras. He finished the year as World No 1.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Football)

Ronaldo became the first man to score in three Champions League finals, when Real Madrid beat Juventus in May; the Spanish club’s third success in four years. During 2016/17 he became the first man to score 100 goals in the Champions League, and also reached 400 career goals for Real Madrid and 600 goals in total. In August, for Portugal, he scored his fifth international hat-trick, surpassing Pele’s record.