Retired Rosberg beats Wayde to Laureus award
THE FASTEST set of legs over the 400m was beaten by a man on four wheels as retired Formula One World Champion Nico Rosberg won the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year award ahead of Wayde van Niekerk.
Jamaican sprinting icon Usain Bolt and American gymnast Simone Biles were named Laureus Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year respectively.
Rosberg finished second in the Formula One World Championship behind Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in consecutive years, before finally winning the title last year.
The German beat the likes of Van Niekerk, Ethiopian world-record breaker Almaz Ayana, English Premier League champions Leicester City, Euro 2016 quarter-finalists Iceland and Olympic Rugby Sevens gold medallists Fiji.
“To me it is just a massive privilege and a honour to be nominated with the guys, whatever happens tonight I am grateful I was here,” Van Niekerk said ahead of the evening’s awards.
It was the second major award Van Niekerk missed out on, after Bolt beat him to the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award in 2016 .
Van Niekerk still has the Best Male Athlete of the Rio Olympics by the Association of International Olympic Committees (Anoc) he received last year.
Meanwhile, retired American swimming sensation Michael Phelps received yet another accolade walking away with the Comeback of the Year award.
Speaking after receiving his gong, the most decorated Olympian of all time said losing his 200m butterfly crown at the London Games played a major role in his comeback in 2014.
“I thought if I win the 200m fly in London I probably wouldn’t come back and I can look back on my career and say the 200m fly in Rio was probably my greatest race in my Olympic career,” Phelps said.
“I didn’t think I was going to swim that race at the Olympics and things started start to come together.
“I don’t think I ever had to dig that deep for a race ever in my career and that is something I was proud to have back after the loss in 2012.
“But I can say I am excited to see what Chad (le Clos) does over the next four years.”
Phelps went on to add five more gold medals in Rio, beating Chad le Clos in the 200m butterfly with the South African missing out on a podium spot in the race.
Getting townships kids off the streets and onto surfboards earned South African-based charity Waves for Change a coveted Sport for Good Award at the glitzy annual ceremony in Monaco.
Former South African Olympic swimmer and Princess of Monaco Charlene Wittstock presented the award to Waves for Change founder Tim Conifer.
Waves of Change harnesses the power of surfing as a form of therapy to vulnerable children in informal settlements such as Masiphumelele and Khayelitsha.
“The evidence shows surfing is a powerful tool to help children deal with trauma, we’ve seen other organisations do it around the world and to be recognised on this platform is important for our work and for the concept of surf therapy,” Conibear said.
“It started as a voluntary programme in Masiphumelele working with one coach and 20 kids, and now it is all around South Africa.
“Laureus’ support has been huge, they were the first guys to fund us, we pitched this idea of surfing therapy which five years ago never existed.” to