Dressel, Ledecky, McKeon, Titmus, Daley Nominated for Laureus Awards

Caeleb Dressel, Katie Ledecky, Emma McKeon, Ariarne Titmus and Tom Daley are among a list of global athletes across all sports to receive nominations for the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards. The awards, which are presented annually, are given in a variety of categories, including Sportsman, Sportswoman, Team, Breakthrough Athlete, Comeback Athlete, Athlete with Disability, Action Sportsperson and Sport for Good. 

The Chinese national diving team also received a team nomination for their Tokyo performance, totaling 12 medals, including 7 golds.

Dressel received a nomination for Sportsman of the Year, alongside Kenyan middle distance runner Eliud Kipchoge, Dutch motorsport driver Max Verstappen, Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, German soccer star Robert Lewandowski and recently-retired American football star Tom Brady. 

Dressel was one of the biggest stars at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics, winning five gold medals in his second Olympiad. Individually, Dressel won the 100 free, 100 fly and 50 free all in Olympic Record fashion, including setting a new World Record in the 100 fly. He also won gold as the star leg of the United States’ 4×100 free relay and 4×100 medley relay, the latter of which was a new World Record.

Both Ledecky and McKeon were nominated for Sportswoman of the Year, joining American track star Allyson Felix, Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson, Australian tennis player Ashleigh Barty and Spanish soccer player Alexia Putellas. 

Distance swimmer Katie Ledecky led the American women’s swimming contingent in Tokyo, winning gold in the 800 and 1500 free, while also claiming silver in the 400 free and 4×200 free relay. Ledecky completed a three-peat in the 800 after winning the gold in both London and Rio, while she also won the inaugural 1500 women’s race at the Olympics. 

Mckeon was the winningest athlete at the Tokyo Games, leading the Australian contingent with 7 total medals. Individually, McKeon took home gold in the 50 and 100 free, while also taking home a bronze in the 100 fly. She was also a mainstay on the Aussie relays, swimming on Australia’s World Record breaking 4×100 free relay and Olympic Record breaking 4×100 medley relay, both of which won gold. She also swam on Australia’s 4×200 free relay and mixed 4×100 medley relay, both of which claimed bronze. 

Her countrymate Ariarne Titmus received a nomination for breakthrough athlete of the year, beside tennis players Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu, soccer player Pedri and athletics competitors Neeraj Chopra and Yulimar Rojas. 

Titmus famously went head to head with Ledecky in a thrilling 400 free race and emerged victorious, topping the defending Olympic Champion and World Record holder with the second fastest time in history. Titmus also claimed individual gold in the 200 free and individual silver in the 800 free, behind only Ledecky. She also played a key role on Australia’s bronze medal-winning 4×200 free relay.

British diver Tom Daley received a nomination for Comeback of the Year, joining American gymnast Simone Biles, cyclists Mark Cavendish and AnneMiek van Vlueten, skateboarder Sky Brown, motorcycle racer Marc Marquez. The legendary British diver won two medals in Tokyo, including gold in the 10 meter synchro and bronze in the individual 10 meter just months after undergoing knee surgery.

Swimmers are no stranger to success at these awards, with Michael Phelps, Missy Franklin and Rebecca Adlington all taking home honors in previous years. 

The award recipients will be announced in April. For more information on the award and a full list of nominees, visit the Laureus site here.