Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo and 19-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams are in contention for the 2015 Laureus sportsman and sportswoman year of the year awards, respectively.
The organisers revealed the nominations for the prestigious awards in Shanghai on Wednesday. The awards will be declared April 15 after a ballot by the world’s media.
Striker Ronaldo, who helped Real Madrid capture Champions League title, will be up against some ferocious contenders. Last year he was beaten by Sebastian Vettel.
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This time the Portugal football team captain faces Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, talismanic golfer Rory McIlroy, tennis World No.1 Novak Djokovic, Spain’s World MotoGP champion Marc Marquez and pole vault world record holder Renaud Lavillenie of France.
The impact of the FIFA World Cup is felt in the Breakthrough of the Year category where Germany’s Mario Gotze, who scored the winning goal in the final. Colombia’s James Rodriguez, winner of the Golden Boot as leading scorer, will challenge the German.
In the sportswoman of the year category, retired Chinese tennis queen Li Na and current World No.1 Serena have been nominated.
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Li retired in October last year and is now pregnant with her first child.
Her former rival and Serena will be hoping for her record equalling fourth Award.
Among the other nominees in this category are Winter Olympic gold medallists Tina Maze and Marit Bjorgen.
Germany, Real Madrid for Laureus team of the year award
Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning football team is pitted against European club football champions Real Madrid in the best team category for the 2015 Laureus awards, officials said.
Germany beat Argentina 1-0 to win the FIFA World Cup held in Brazil. In the same impressive manner, Real Madrid defeated city rivals Atletico Madrid to win the Champions League.
Also, 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer received two nominations for the part he played, along with Stanislas Wawrinka, in the first ever success by the Swiss Davis Cup team. The team has been shortlisted for both Team of the Year and Breakthrough of the Year awards.
Severin Luthi-led Switzerland overpowered France 3-1 in the summit clash of the men’s tennis team championship.
Federer, Wawrinka, Marco Chiudinelli and Michael Lammer were part of the victorious squad.
Wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden, who won the marathon Grand Slam of Boston, Chicago, London and New York for the second straight year, will be hoping to win the Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award after missing out last year.