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Argentina’s charismatic football star Lionel Messi has been nominated for the third straight time for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award. His team FC Barcelona are also nominated as Laureus World Team of the Year for the fourth time. Surfing legend and three-time winner Kelly Slater is nominated once more for the Laureus Action Sports Award.

Czech tennis star Petra Kvitova and ‘Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius are both nominated in two categories – Kvitova for Sportswoman and Breakthrough, while athlete Pistorius qualifies for the Breakthrough and Disability Awards.  Dutch wheelchair tennis legend Esther Vergeer, a winner of the Laureus Disability Award in 2002 and 2008, is nominated again.

The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognize sporting achievement during the calendar year 2011, are the premier honors on the international sporting calendar.   The winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 47 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be unveiled at a televised Awards Ceremony staged in London on Monday, February 6.

Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which supports 89 community sports projects around the world. Since its inception, Laureus has raised €40 million for projects which have improved the lives of more than one-and-a-half million young people.

When the winners of the 2012 Laureus Awards are revealed, Lionel Messi will be hoping to become the first team player in history to be named winner of the individual Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award. Also in that category are Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who won two gold medals in the World Athletics Championships, tennis No 1 Novak Djokovic, who won the Australian, Wimbledon and US Open Grand Slams, Australian cyclist Cadel Evans, winner of the Tour de France, and Germans Dirk Nowitzki, the first European to be voted Most Valuable Player in the NBA Finals, and Sebastian Vettel, who won his second straight Formula One World Championship.

Taiwan golfer Yani Tseng is nominated for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award after her phenomenal 2011, winning two Major Championships and heading the LPGA money list by more than US$1 million. Athletes Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya and American Carmelita Jeter are shortlisted after gold medal performances in the World Championships in Daegu, as are German skier Maria Höfl-Riesch, the Czech Republic’s Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Japan’s Homare Sawa, who won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot in the FIFA Women’s World Cup which was won by Japan.

The Laureus World Team of the Year category looks one of the most competitive ever. The All Blacks’ Rugby World Cup win and the stylish European Champions League victory by Barcelona will make them both strong contenders. Also nominated are NBA winners Dallas Mavericks, world No 1 cricket team England, the Japan Women’s Football Team and the Red Bull Formula One Team, winners of the World Constructors Championship for the second straight year.

South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius is nominated for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award after becoming the first amputee to win a track medal in the non-disabled World Athletics Championships. Also on the shortlist are Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake, British athlete Mo Farah, Northern Ireland golfer Rory McIlroy, who won the US Open at 22, Petra Kvitova, who won her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon at just 21 and French Open champion Li Na, China’s first ever tennis Grand Slam winner.

Breakthrough Nominee Pistorius is also on the shortlist for the Laureus Disability Award, along with Dutch wheelchair tennis star Esther Vergeer, who has already won two Laureus Awards and is unbeaten in singles in more than eight years, British wheelchair racer David Weir and Russian cross-country skier Irek Zaripov. Brazil has two nominations – swimmer Daniel Dias, who won the Disability Award in 2009, and visually impaired runner Terezinha Guilhermina.

France’s Eric Abidal, who beat cancer to play in the winning 2011 Barcelona Champions League team, is nominated for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award, along with two golfers – Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke, who recovered from a slump in form after the death of his wife to win the Open Championship, and Spain’s Sergio Garcia, who won two European Tour events after three years without a victory. Also shortlisted are Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, who won silver in the World Athletics Championships, and rugby teams Crusaders and Reds, who reached the Super 15 final despite having to cope with the Christchurch Earthquake and the Queensland floods.

The world’s two top surfers, Americans Carissa Moore and Kelly Slater, are both nominated for the Laureus World Action Sports Award. Slater, who won his 11th world title this year at the age of 39, has already won three Laureus Awards. Also nominated are Britain’s BMX star Jamie Bestwick, American skateboard/snowboard legend Shaun White, mountain snowboarder Travis Rice and German windsurfer Philip Köster, 17, who won the PWA Wave World Championship.

Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman Edwin Moses said: “This has been a great year for sport and the Academy are going to find it extremely difficult to decide who to vote for as winners. We have had several massive performances in 2011 both by individuals and teams and that has been reflected in the Nominations. I congratulate all the Nominees and now we look forward to what should be a great Awards Ceremony in February in London.”

The full list of nominees for the 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards is:

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year
Usain Bolt (Jamaica) Athletics – two gold medals in World Athletics Championships in Daegu
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Tennis – won Australian, Wimbledon and US Open Grand Slams
Cadel Evans (Australia) Cycling – winner of the Tour de France
Lionel Messi (Argentina) Football – FC Barcelona’s star player, scored 53 goals in 2010/11 season
Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) Basketball – first European to be named MVP at NBA Finals
Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Motor Racing – won second straight F1 World Championship at 24

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) Athletics – won World Championship 5k & 10K and cross-country title
Maria Höfl-Riesch (Germany) Alpine Skiing – beat Lindsey Vonn to win overall World Cup
Carmelita Jeter (US) Athletics – won 100m and 4 x 100m relay gold medals in World Championships
Petra Kvitova (Czech) Tennis – won her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon, plus WTA Championship
Homare Sawa (Japan) Football – won Golden Ball and Golden Boot in FIFA World Cup
Yani Tseng (Taiwan) Golf – at 22, won two golf Majors and headed LPGA money list by over US$1m

Laureus World Team of the Year
All Blacks (N.Zealand) Rugby – won 2011 Rugby World Cup in their own country
FC Barcelona (Spain) Football – won Champions League and Spanish League in 2010/11
Dallas Mavericks (US) Basketball – won their first ever NBA Championship
England Cricket Team – became world No 1 after Ashes win in Australia and beating India 4-0
Japan Women’s Football Team – became first Asian team to win FIFA Women’s World Cup
Red Bull (Austria) Motor Racing – won second straight F1 Constructors World Championship

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year
Yohan Blake (Jamaica) Athletics – at 21, won 100m gold medal in World Championships
Mo Farah (UK) Athletics – winner of the 5,000 metres gold medal in the World Championships
Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) Tennis – at 21, won her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon
Rory McIlroy (UK) Golf – at 22, won US Open, his first Major Championship
Li Na (China) Tennis – won French Open to become China’s first ever Grand Slam winner
Oscar Pistorius (SA) Athletics – first amputee to win track medal in non-disabled World Championships

Laureus World Comeback of the Year
Eric Abidal (France) Football – beat cancer to play in winning Barcelona Champions League team
Darren Clarke (UK) Golf – at 42, recovered from slump in form to win Open Championship
Crusaders (NZ) Rugby – despite Christchurch earthquake, Crusaders reached final of Super 15
Sergio Garcia (Spain) Golf – won two European Tour events, after three years without a victory
Liu Xiang (China) Athletics – after 2008 Olympic disappointment, won silver in World Championships
Queensland Reds (Australia) Rugby – won Super 15 rugby despite floods in Queensland

Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability
Daniel Dias (Brazil) Swimming – won 11 gold medals in 11 events at Parapan Games
Terezinha Guilhermina (Brazil) Athletics – won 4 gold medals in IPC World Championships
Oscar Pistorius (SA) Athletics – first amputee to win track medal in non-disabled World Championships
Esther Vergeer (Netherlands) Wheelchair Tennis – unbeaten in singles for more than eight years
David Weir (UK) Wheelchair Athletics – won 3 gold medals in IPC World Championships
Irek Zaripov (Russia) Nordic Skiing – won 6 medals in IPC World Skiing Championships

For more detailed biographies of Nominees go to www.laureus.com

The 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony, which will be attended by the greatest names in sport, past and present, and broadcast to a worldwide TV audience, will be staged in the heart of London at Central Hall, Westminster on the evening of Monday, February 6.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: “I am excited that the Laureus World Sports Awards and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation have decided to bring the Awards to London for 2012. Laureus and I share a commitment to making sport a positive part of everyone’s life regardless of age and ability.  Celebrating the power of sport here in London with the world’s sporting superstars will provide the perfect start to our Olympic year and it marks the beginning of a real and long-lasting grassroots sports legacy for London and beyond.”

Among the winners who have received Awards at previous Awards Ceremonies have been Jenson Button, Roger Federer, Sir Alex Ferguson, Lewis Hamilton, Justine Henin, Kelly Holmes, Rafael Nadal, Sir Steve Redgrave, Ronaldo, Michael Schumacher, Kelly Slater, Serena Williams and Zinedine Zidane. Guests attending the Awards Ceremony have included His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain, HSH Prince Albert of Monaco, David and Victoria Beckham, Sir Sean Connery, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Morgan Freeman, Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey.

• Barcelona’s Messi nominated for Laureus Sportsman Award for third straight year
• All Blacks, Barcelona, Mavericks and Red Bull among Nominees for Team Award
• Nominations in two categories for Petra Kvitova and Oscar Pistorius
• Unbeatable Esther Vergeer joins Pistorius on Disability Award shortlist
• Three-time winner Kelly Slater nominated again for Action Sports Award
• Laureus World Sports Awards to be held in London on February 6