Reigning MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi has been nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award, an honour that will be decided in the tenth edition of the Laureus World Sports Awards.

Rossi was one of six sportsmen to be entered onto the final shortlist, following a ballot open to the world’s media in a record 112 countries. His rivals for the prize are Olympic gold medal winners Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, tennis champion Rafael Nadal and soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo.

Giacomo Agostini, 15 times world champion and member of the Laureus World Sports Academy is estatic about Rossi’s nomination:

“He is without doubt the greatest motorcycle racer of his generation and one of the greatest of all times. He lost the championship in 2007 and bounced back stronger than ever, winning in 2008 as a champion. Records are made to be broken and I don’t think there’s a better person than Valentino to break mine and I compliment him. I’m also happy that it was an Italian who did it.”

Previous winners of the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award include Roger Federer, Michael Schumacher, Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods. In 2006 Rossi won the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award for his contribution to motorcycling.

Laureus and its Partners have made the decision that due to the current economic situation it would be inappropriate to stage a full-scale Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony at this time and will forego its usual spring celebration.

Laureus during 2009 will support the funding and activities of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. There has been tremendous growth recently in the Laureus Foundation, despite the economic downturn, and will ensure that this is not only sustained but also increased in the future.

The winners of this year’s Laureus World Sports Awards will now receive their Awards individually at a series of presentations during May and June.

Source | ilgiornale

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