The Laureus Nominations Panel of specialists announced the list of nominated sport stars who glittered at Olympic and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. The final winner of each of the seven categories will be picked by the secret ballot cast by members of the Laureus World Sports Academy.
Among the six athletes nominated for the category of Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability is Iranian giant powerlifter Siamand Rahman whose outstanding performance in Rio broke the world record of bench lifting by a shocking 70 kilograms.
The other five contenders of the category are also from Rio Paralympic Games; swimmers Ihar Boki from Belarus and New Zealand’s Sophie Pascoe; visually impaired Cuban sprinter Omara Durand, Swiss wheelchair racer Marcel Hug and Italian fencer Beatrice Vio.
The eventual winners, as voted for by members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, will be revealed in Monaco on February 14.
An annual award ceremony since 2000, the Laureus World Sports Awards picks remarkable individuals from the world of sports along with the greatest sporting achievements throughout the year.
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