Bolt, Biles shine in galaxy of stars
Jamaican sprinter, US gymnast earn honours in award ceremony
MONACO : That the Olympics are the ultimate test of human endurance, skill and sporting spirit was once again eloquent when the Laureus World Sports Awards were declared here on Tuesday night. Sprint king Usain Bolt of Jamaica won a record fourth Laureus Sportsman of the year award while US gymnast Simone Biles won the women’s version of the sports Oscars in a glittering ceremony hosted by British actor Hugh Grant.
The Laureus awards returned to Monaco after the first edition was held in this principality in 2000. Prince Albert and Princess Charlene were the chief guests on a night when a galaxy of stars lit up the wind-swept French Riviera off the Mediterranean.
The Laureus World Sports Awards not only brought together the sporting legends – past, present and future -- on Planet Earth but feted the Olympic Refugee Team, the athletes of which conquered odds in their strife-torn nations to compete in Rio 2016. Laureus also reserved an award for the Sportsperson of the Year with a disability. This year, it was won by Italian Beatrice Vio, the only quadruple amputee in international wheelchair fencing.
Beatrice, who won the gold in the Rio Olympics, got the loudest cheer in a packed hall at the Salle des Etoiles Sporting Monte Carlo, the venue of the awards.
The Laureus ceremony saw rare scenes of sporting greats meeting up in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Mr and Mrs Michael Phelps sharing a dinner table with Mr and Mrs Nico Rosberg is perhaps one of the rarest sights in the history of sports.
While Phelps, the greatest Olympian swimmer of all times, won the Comeback of the Year award, Rosberg, the reigning world Formula One champion, won the Breakthrough of the Year award. Rosberg lives in Monaco and has a hattrick of FI titles in Monte Carlo.
The award ceremony was just perfectly planned. Bolt, who equalled Roger Federer with his fourth Laureus trophy, was presented his silverware by former Olympic and world champion Michael Johnson. Biles got her trophy from the best-known gymnast ever, Nadia Comaneci.
Bolt, who will never be seen in an Olympics again, had a telling message for youngsters. The showman, who did his signature ‘thunderbolt’ pose during a group photo, said: “Anything is possible. Never thought I will win this (Rio) gold...work hard and keep pushing.”
It was a virtual who’s who at the awards. Sergei Bubka, Ed Moses, football legends Ruud Gullit, Cafu, Del Piero and Carlos Puyol and boxing great Marvelous Marvin Hagler...the list goes on. In the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, a nominee alongside Bolt, football got its share of the spotlight when Leicester City were given a special Spirit of Sport award for their stunning Premier League win last season as 5,000-1 outsiders.
The award was presented to Leicester manager Claudio Rannieri by former England boss Fabio Capello.
There was lot of wine, music and cheer. With their wives in tow, the Phelps, Rosbergs and Coulthards partied into the wee hours of Wednesday. Another edition of the Laureus awards thus came to a grand finish.