TexasHSFootball
04-02-2007, 12:52 PM
Got this press release in my e-mail.. figured I would spread the word..
Laureus World Sports Awards, Barcelona 2007
RECORD THIRD LAUREUS FOR FEDERER; ITALY WIN TEAM AWARD; ISINBAYEVA IS SPORTSWOMAN OF YEAR; SERENA WILLIAMS WINS COMEBACK; BREAKTHROUGH AWARD GOES TO MAURESMO
• Football legend Franz Beckenbauer wins Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award
• Laureus Spirit of Sport Award honours Spanish club FC Barcelona
• Action Sports Award goes to eight-time World Surfing Champion Kelly Slater
• German ski sensation Martin Braxenthaler wins Laureus Disability Award
• Britain’s Luke Dowdney receives Laureus Sport for Good Award
• Qualifying period for Laureus Awards – March 1, 2006 to January 31, 2007
BARCELONA, April 2, 2007 – Swiss tennis star Roger Federer has made history by becoming the first ever recipient of three Laureus World Sports Awards. Federer was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, for the third straight time, at the 2007 Awards Ceremony in Barcelona, after another highly successful 12 months in which he won Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open.
Tennis was the big winner in Barcelona as American Serena Williams took the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award following her Australian Open victory, and France’s Amélie Mauresmo won the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award after her first two Grand Slam victories.
The Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award went to Russia’s brilliant pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, while Italy won the Laureus World Team of the Year Award after their World Cup success in Germany last summer.
There was an enthusiastic reception at the Awards Ceremony, staged at the Palau Sant Jordi, as FC Barcelona won the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award for their support of UNICEF. German football legend Franz Beckenbauer, President of the German 2006 World Cup Organising Committee, won the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.
American surfer Kelly Slater was a popular winner of the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award after becoming World Champion for a record eighth time.
Germany’s brilliant mono-skier Martin Braxenthaler was named Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability, after winning three gold medals in the Winter Paralympic Games.
The Laureus Sport for Good Award went to Britain’s Luke Dowdney for his work in founding the Fight for Peace boxing project which helps young people from the slums of Rio de Janeiro whose lives are blighted by violence and drug trafficking.
The Laureus World Sports Awards is the only global sports awards honouring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year. The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury - the 44 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, a collection of the world’s greatest sportsmen and women. The living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today.
The Awards Ceremony, held in the presence of His Majesty The King of Spain, was attended by global figures from sport, entertainment, business and fashion. Among the members of the Laureus World Sports Academy present were: Giacomo Agostini, Marcus Allen, Franz Beckenbauer, Boris Becker, Sergey Bubka, Bobby Charlton, Sebastian Coe, Nadia Comaneci, Deng Yaping, Marcel Desailly, David Douillet, Morné du Plessis, Sean Fitzpatrick, Dawn Fraser, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Tony Hawk, Mike Horn, Miguel Indurain, Kip Keino, Franz Klammer, Edwin Moses, Nawal El Moutawakel, Robby Naish, Ilie Nastase, Hugo Porta, Monica Seles, Mark Spitz, Daley Thompson, Alberto Tomba, Steve Waugh and Katarina Witt.
Among the guests were Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman, star of films like Million Dollar Baby, Driving Miss Daisy, The Unforgiven and The Shawshank Redemption, and popular stars Eva Longoria and Kyle MacLachlan from US TV show Desperate Housewives, along with Argentinian super model Valeria Mazza and celebrated Spanish flamenco dancer Joaquin Cortes.
Jordi Hereu i Boher, Mayor of Barcelona, said: “I congratulate all the winners. Barcelona has been delighted to welcome the Laureus World Sports Awards for the second time and we are very pleased with the results. It has been a wonderful opening to our ‘Year of Sport’ which began in March 2007 and which celebrates the 15th anniversary of the highly successful Olympic Games which were held in Barcelona in 1992.”
Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is a world-famous destination. Its unique architecture, artistic ambience and celebrated tourist attractions have made it one of the most visited cities in the world. Barcelona combines its passion for sport with its reputation as one of the most sophisticated business cities in Europe. The city offers world-class infrastructure, backed by superb organisational talent. Its unique qualities made Barcelona a natural choice to host the 2007 Laureus World Sports Awards.
Laureus is supported by its Founding Patrons DaimlerChrysler and Richemont represented by their brands Mercedes-Benz and IWC.
The Awards were presented in seven categories. The winners were:
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Roger Federer
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Yelena Isinbayeva
Laureus World Team of the Year: Italian Men’s Football Team
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: Amélie Mauresmo
Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Serena Williams
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Martin Braxenthaler
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Kelly Slater
There were three special Awards: The Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to German football legend Franz Beckenbauer. Spanish football club FC Barcelona won the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award, and Britain’s Luke Dowdney was the recipient of the Laureus Sport for Good Award for his work in founding the Fight for Peace project in Rio de Janeiro.
EDITOR’S NOTES
Laureus is a universal movement that celebrates the power of sport to bring people together as a force for good. Laureus is composed of three core elements - the Laureus World Sports Awards, the Laureus World Sports Academy and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation - which collectively celebrate sporting excellence and harness the power of sport to promote social change.
The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier global sports awards honouring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year. The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury - the 44 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today.
The Awards are presented at an annual Awards Ceremony, attended by global figures from sport, entertainment, business and fashion, which is broadcast to 190 countries and territories each year.
The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation utilises the power of sport to address social challenges through a worldwide programme of sports related community development initiatives.
The vision of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, as defined by Patron Nelson Mandela, is that “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair.”
Laureus currently funds 48 projects worldwide addressing the key social issues of AIDS awareness, poverty, illiteracy, delinquency, drug and alcohol abuse, anti-social behaviour, gangsterism, street crime, lack of opportunity/education, truancy, unemployment, teenage pregnancy, physical abuse, mental health problems, depression, social exclusion, gender discrimination, disability discrimination, community integration, at-risk youth, the plight of child soldiers in war zones, landmine risk, (armed) violence, racial and religious discrimination, child soldier rehabilitation and community regeneration, peace and reconciliation , environmental issues, disaster cleanup, trauma issues, segregation between Indigenous and non-indigenous communities, obesity, malnutrition, health and hygiene. Almost 150,000 children around the world have had their lives improved by the work of Laureus.
Members of the Laureus World Sports Academy volunteer their services as global ambassadors, visiting projects to encourage young people to participate in sport and to draw public attention to the problems affecting society today.
Laureus World Sports Awards, Barcelona 2007
RECORD THIRD LAUREUS FOR FEDERER; ITALY WIN TEAM AWARD; ISINBAYEVA IS SPORTSWOMAN OF YEAR; SERENA WILLIAMS WINS COMEBACK; BREAKTHROUGH AWARD GOES TO MAURESMO
• Football legend Franz Beckenbauer wins Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award
• Laureus Spirit of Sport Award honours Spanish club FC Barcelona
• Action Sports Award goes to eight-time World Surfing Champion Kelly Slater
• German ski sensation Martin Braxenthaler wins Laureus Disability Award
• Britain’s Luke Dowdney receives Laureus Sport for Good Award
• Qualifying period for Laureus Awards – March 1, 2006 to January 31, 2007
BARCELONA, April 2, 2007 – Swiss tennis star Roger Federer has made history by becoming the first ever recipient of three Laureus World Sports Awards. Federer was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, for the third straight time, at the 2007 Awards Ceremony in Barcelona, after another highly successful 12 months in which he won Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open.
Tennis was the big winner in Barcelona as American Serena Williams took the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award following her Australian Open victory, and France’s Amélie Mauresmo won the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award after her first two Grand Slam victories.
The Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award went to Russia’s brilliant pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, while Italy won the Laureus World Team of the Year Award after their World Cup success in Germany last summer.
There was an enthusiastic reception at the Awards Ceremony, staged at the Palau Sant Jordi, as FC Barcelona won the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award for their support of UNICEF. German football legend Franz Beckenbauer, President of the German 2006 World Cup Organising Committee, won the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.
American surfer Kelly Slater was a popular winner of the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award after becoming World Champion for a record eighth time.
Germany’s brilliant mono-skier Martin Braxenthaler was named Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability, after winning three gold medals in the Winter Paralympic Games.
The Laureus Sport for Good Award went to Britain’s Luke Dowdney for his work in founding the Fight for Peace boxing project which helps young people from the slums of Rio de Janeiro whose lives are blighted by violence and drug trafficking.
The Laureus World Sports Awards is the only global sports awards honouring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year. The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury - the 44 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, a collection of the world’s greatest sportsmen and women. The living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today.
The Awards Ceremony, held in the presence of His Majesty The King of Spain, was attended by global figures from sport, entertainment, business and fashion. Among the members of the Laureus World Sports Academy present were: Giacomo Agostini, Marcus Allen, Franz Beckenbauer, Boris Becker, Sergey Bubka, Bobby Charlton, Sebastian Coe, Nadia Comaneci, Deng Yaping, Marcel Desailly, David Douillet, Morné du Plessis, Sean Fitzpatrick, Dawn Fraser, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Tony Hawk, Mike Horn, Miguel Indurain, Kip Keino, Franz Klammer, Edwin Moses, Nawal El Moutawakel, Robby Naish, Ilie Nastase, Hugo Porta, Monica Seles, Mark Spitz, Daley Thompson, Alberto Tomba, Steve Waugh and Katarina Witt.
Among the guests were Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman, star of films like Million Dollar Baby, Driving Miss Daisy, The Unforgiven and The Shawshank Redemption, and popular stars Eva Longoria and Kyle MacLachlan from US TV show Desperate Housewives, along with Argentinian super model Valeria Mazza and celebrated Spanish flamenco dancer Joaquin Cortes.
Jordi Hereu i Boher, Mayor of Barcelona, said: “I congratulate all the winners. Barcelona has been delighted to welcome the Laureus World Sports Awards for the second time and we are very pleased with the results. It has been a wonderful opening to our ‘Year of Sport’ which began in March 2007 and which celebrates the 15th anniversary of the highly successful Olympic Games which were held in Barcelona in 1992.”
Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is a world-famous destination. Its unique architecture, artistic ambience and celebrated tourist attractions have made it one of the most visited cities in the world. Barcelona combines its passion for sport with its reputation as one of the most sophisticated business cities in Europe. The city offers world-class infrastructure, backed by superb organisational talent. Its unique qualities made Barcelona a natural choice to host the 2007 Laureus World Sports Awards.
Laureus is supported by its Founding Patrons DaimlerChrysler and Richemont represented by their brands Mercedes-Benz and IWC.
The Awards were presented in seven categories. The winners were:
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: Roger Federer
Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year: Yelena Isinbayeva
Laureus World Team of the Year: Italian Men’s Football Team
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: Amélie Mauresmo
Laureus World Comeback of the Year: Serena Williams
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Martin Braxenthaler
Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Kelly Slater
There were three special Awards: The Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to German football legend Franz Beckenbauer. Spanish football club FC Barcelona won the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award, and Britain’s Luke Dowdney was the recipient of the Laureus Sport for Good Award for his work in founding the Fight for Peace project in Rio de Janeiro.
EDITOR’S NOTES
Laureus is a universal movement that celebrates the power of sport to bring people together as a force for good. Laureus is composed of three core elements - the Laureus World Sports Awards, the Laureus World Sports Academy and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation - which collectively celebrate sporting excellence and harness the power of sport to promote social change.
The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier global sports awards honouring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year. The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury - the 44 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today.
The Awards are presented at an annual Awards Ceremony, attended by global figures from sport, entertainment, business and fashion, which is broadcast to 190 countries and territories each year.
The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation utilises the power of sport to address social challenges through a worldwide programme of sports related community development initiatives.
The vision of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, as defined by Patron Nelson Mandela, is that “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair.”
Laureus currently funds 48 projects worldwide addressing the key social issues of AIDS awareness, poverty, illiteracy, delinquency, drug and alcohol abuse, anti-social behaviour, gangsterism, street crime, lack of opportunity/education, truancy, unemployment, teenage pregnancy, physical abuse, mental health problems, depression, social exclusion, gender discrimination, disability discrimination, community integration, at-risk youth, the plight of child soldiers in war zones, landmine risk, (armed) violence, racial and religious discrimination, child soldier rehabilitation and community regeneration, peace and reconciliation , environmental issues, disaster cleanup, trauma issues, segregation between Indigenous and non-indigenous communities, obesity, malnutrition, health and hygiene. Almost 150,000 children around the world have had their lives improved by the work of Laureus.
Members of the Laureus World Sports Academy volunteer their services as global ambassadors, visiting projects to encourage young people to participate in sport and to draw public attention to the problems affecting society today.