Sports stars past and present to attend fifth Laureus Awards Deputy Prime Minister
Jose Luis Arnaut promises warm welcome 350 million TV audience to watch Laureus
Awards Ceremony Laureus World Sports Awards to be staged in Estoril, May 8-10
ESTORIL, May 5, 2004 – Portuguese football star Luis Figo, Brazil’s
Ronaldo and Hollywood actor Michael Douglas will be among the celebrities attending
the 2004 Laureus World Sports Awards at the Centro Cultural de Belem on the
Lisbon Coast on May 10.
The Awards Ceremony which will be presented by John McEnroe and actress Rachel
Hunter will be seen around the world by a TV audience of 350 million.
Luis Figo and Ronaldo, who collected two Laureus Awards in 2003, and Michael
Douglas will join sports stars past and present and sports enthusiasts from
the world of entertainment as the world’s premier sporting honours are
announced.
Portugal’s Deputy Prime Minister José Luis Arnaut, speaking at
a Press Conference to announce the names of the guests who will be attending
the Awards Ceremony, promised that the great stars of sport and entertainment
would receive a warm welcome to Portugal. Among those attending are:
Giacomo Agostini Severiano Ballesteros Boris Becker
Oliver Bierhoff Ian Botham Sergey Bubka
Will Carling Bobby Charlton Sebastian Coe
Nadia Comaneci David Coulthard Yaping Deng
Marcel Desailly Kapil Dev Dimas
Placido Domingo Michael Douglas Barbara Elias
Eusebio Luis Figo Mark Fish
Emerson Fittipaldi Sean Fitzpatrick Dawn Fraser
Cathy Freeman Morgan Freeman Sourav Ganguly
Sunil Gavaskar Carlos Godinho Nuno Gomes
Tanni Grey-Thompson Marvin Hagler Dante Hall
Tony Hawk Rachel Hunter Michael Johnson
Kip Keino Franz Klammer Vitali Klitschko
Wladimir Klitschko Pedro Lamy John McEnroe
Benni McCarthy Corey Maggette Edwin Moses
Rosa Mota Nawal El Moutawakel Robby Naish
Ilie Nastase Gary Player Morné du Plessis
Hugo Porta Lucas Radebe Ronaldo
Lan Sang Luis Felipe Scolari Monica Seles
Yuvraj Singh Carlos Sousa Mark Spitz
Daley Thompson Alberto Tomba Inzaman Ul Haq
Katarina Witt Carlos Xavier Yang Yang
The winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards are selected by the ultimate
sports jury – the 41 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, a group
of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time led by their Chairman,
Olympic athletics legend Edwin Moses.
The Nominations for 2004 are:
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Lance Armstrong (USA, Cycling); Roger
Federer (Switzerland, Tennis); Michael Phelps (USA, Swimming); Valentino Rossi
(Italy, Motorcycling); Michael Schumacher (Germany, Motor Racing); Jonny Wilkinson
(UK, Rugby Union).
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Inge de Bruijn (Netherlands, Swimming);
Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium, Tennis); Maria Mutola (Mozambique, Athletics);
Paula Radcliffe (UK, Athletics); Annika Sorenstam (Sweden, Golf); Serena Williams
(USA, Tennis).
Laureus World Team of the Year: AC Milan (Italy, Football); Alinghi (Switzerland,
Sailing); Australia Men’s Cricket Team; England Men’s Rugby Union
Team; Ferrari (Italy, Motor Racing); Germany Women’s Football Team.
Laureus World Newcomer of the Year: Fernando Alonso (Spain, Motor Racing);
Ben Curtis (USA, Golf); LeBron James (USA, Basketball); Robinho (Brazil, Football);
Maria Sharapova (Russia, Tennis); Michelle Wie (USA, Golf).
Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Fred Couples (USA, Golf); Inge de Bruijn
(Netherlands, Swimmer); Peter Forsberg (Sweden, Ice Hockey); Hermann Maier (Austria,
Skiing); Martina Navratilova (USA, Tennis); Alessandro Zanardi (Italy, Motor
Racing).
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Earle Connor (Canada,
Athletics), Natalie du Toit (South Africa, Swimming), Vitalis Lanshima (Nigeria,
Athletics), Ronny Persson (Sweden, Alpine Skiing), Michael Teuber (Germany,
Cycling), Nicola Tustain (United Kingdom, Equestrian).
Laureus World Alternative Sportsperson of the Year: Layne Beachley (Australia,
Surfing); Gretchen Bleiler (USA, Snowboarding); Anne-Caroline Chausson (France,
Mountain Biking); Laird Hamilton (USA, Surfing); Ryan Sheckler (USA, Skateboarding);
Shaun White (USA, Snowboarding).
The Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony provides a fitting climax to two days
of high-profile events which include the Laureus Golf Challenge at Oitavos Golf
Club, hosted by Gary Player, the Laureus Tennis Challenge at Quinta da Marinha,
featuring Boris Becker and Ilie Nastase, and the spectacular Laureus Beach Festival
which will include a Halfpipe and feature exhibition performances by skateboard
legend Tony Hawk and windsurfing multi-world champion Robby Naish.
On the evening of Sunday, May 9, at Casino Estoril, the Laureus Spirit of Sport
gala dinner and auction will be staged to raise funds for the Laureus Sport
for Good Foundation. The Foundation, which is actively backed by members of
the Laureus Academy, supports 24 projects worldwide which use sport as the means
by which underprivileged young people can improve their life.
Members of the media who wish to attend the 2004 Laureus World Sports Awards
should apply for accreditation on the Laureus website www.laureus.com/accreditation
or email laureus@zonetc.com. Members of the media who wish to be added to the
Laureus World Sports Awards mailing list should contact Shelly Samuel on media@laureus.org.
Images of previous Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremonies, Laureus Sport for
Good Foundation events and Laureus World Sports Academy members are available
on the Laureus Photo Archive www.laureusarchive.com.
For further information please contact:
Karen Dillon
Laureus International Media Office
Tel: +351 214 669 192
Email: media@laureus.org
Photo Archive: www.laureusarchive.com
Website: www.laureus.com
NB: Information correct at time of going to press
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