Wayde should have been shoo-in for ‘Oscar’
Junxia, who is alleged to have been part of an apparent orchestrated Chinese doping programme.
Ayana’s run in Rio was also only her second competitive 10 000m race, although she has denied allegations of doping since.
Fiji claim the World Series title virtually every season, and Iceland – they did capture the imagination of the global football public – only played in a regional competition and didn’t win it.
How can Rosberg be regarded as a “Breakthrough” contender? He is 31, has been in Formula One since 2006, and retired at the end of the season. He has tried for so long to become the champion, and now it’s finally happened. Also, while F1 racing is one of the most dangerous sports, a lot of the work is done by the team beforehand, and you’re often at the mercy of the car rather than your own skill. Rosberg undoubtedly had the best car, with Mercedes winning the constructors’ title and teammate Lewis Hamilton ending second, just five points behind.
Unbelievably, Rosberg won the Laureus award!
Leicester City were a real fairytale story – true underdogs whorocked English football with their spirit and stamina to win their maiden Premier League title.
But again, as meteoric as their triumph was, it was in domestic competition, and they didn’t participate in other European competitions like runners-up Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City.
That leaves us with Van Niekerk. The kid from Kraaifontein, and now man from Bloemfontein, produced arguably the biggest sporting moment in 2016.
His performance was such that he should actually have been considered for the overall Laureus Sportsman of the Year award, won by Bolt for a fourth time.
Even the Jamaican legend was moved to tell the media afterwards that Van Niekerk should’ve been given the Breakthrough gong at the supposed “Oscars” of sport.
Some on social media have suggested that it’s an anti-South African thing that Van Niekerk wasn’t victorious, but I don’t even want to go there.
Must Wayde van Niekerk first beat Usain Bolt to win an international award? Oh wait, that might just happen later this year… ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za @ashfakmohamed