26 February 2014

Double world and Olympic champion Mo Farah (coach: Alberto Salazar) has been named on a shortlist of six for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award.

The nomination comes after Farah won memorable gold medals over 5,000m and 10,000m at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow last August, adding to the gold medals he won in the same events at the London 2012 Olympics.

The prestigious prize is awarded to the sportsman who best demonstrates supreme athletic performance and achievement – such as consecutive or multiple world, continental, international or national and major championships titles or the establishment of world records or best performances.

Also named on the shortlist, which is nominated by a ballot of the world’s media, is fellow track and field athlete Usain Bolt. The world’s fastest man won three gold medals in Moscow to take his medal haul up to eight World Championship golds and six Olympic golds.

American basketballer LeBron James, Spain’s multiple grand slam winning tennis player Rafael Nadal, Ballon d’Or winning footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel make up the rest of the six-man shortlist.

The winner will be voted for by the Laureus World Sports Academy, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all-time, and awarded at the ceremony on Tuesday 25 March.