Kenyan Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon, the current record holder for the 1,500 meters, has earned a Sportswoman of the Year nomination at the upcoming 25th Laureus World Sports Awards.
Alongside Kipyegon, this category features other renowned athletes including USA's Sha'Carri Richardson and Mikaela Shiffrin, Jamaica's Sherricka Jackson, Poland's Iga Swiatek, and Spain's Aitana Bonmati.
The prestigious awards ceremony is scheduled for April 22 in Madrid, Spain, where outstanding sports personalities worldwide will be honoured.
At the World Championships, Kipyegon became the first female athlete to win both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters.
Sha'Carri on the other hand won a gold medal in her debut world final, sprinting 100 meters from lane nine.
In the world of tennis, Poland's Świątek returned to the top of the rankings in 2023 after winning her third French Open championship and the WTA Finals in Cancun.
Along with winning the World Cup and Golden Ball for the best player in the competition, Bonmatí of Spain also won Liga F, the UEFA Women's Champions League with FC Barcelona Femení, and the Ballon d'Or Feminin.
"The Awards Ceremony will take place at the Palacio de Cibeles, a remarkable structure designed by the prolific architect partnership of Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi. It is one of Madrid’s most iconic buildings," Laureus wrote on this year's ceremony.
Since its establishment in 1999, the Laureus World Sports Awards have recognized outstanding athletes, groups, and individuals for their year-long achievements in sports.
Last year's award ceremony feted personalities like Lionel Messi and Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who won the Sportswoman of the Year category.
Nominees for this year's Sportsman of the Year category are; Lionel Messi, Novak Djokovic, Erling Haaland, Mondo Duplantis, Noah Lyles and Max Verstappen.
Spain's women's football team, champions of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, has secured a nomination in the esteemed Team of the Year category.
They share the nomination with other outstanding teams, including South Africa's rugby powerhouse Springboks, UK football giants Manchester City, Germany's men's basketball team, the European Golf team Ryder Cup, and Austria's racing team, Red Bull Racing.
American gymnast, Simone Biles has been nominated in the category of Comeback of the Year alongside Canadian basketballer Jamal Murray, UK athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, South African rugby player Siya Kolisi, Ivory Coast footballer Sebastien Haller and Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova who plays tennis.
