Laureus Awards: Mo Farah, Chris Froome and Lewis Hamilton among nominees

APD NEWS

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Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah has been nominated for the 2017 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award.

Farah, who was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in December, is one of four British nominees.

Mo Farah has been nominated for World Sportsman of the Year

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome and Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton are also in contention for Sportsman of the Year.

World heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua is nominated in the Breakthrough of the Year category.

The late Bradley Lowery's friendship with Jermain Defoe is also recognised on the Best Sporting Moment shortlist.

Six-year-old Lowery captured the hearts of the nation as he bravely battled a rare form of cancer, and posthumously received the Helen Rollason Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show.

Teenage racing driver Billy Monger - who lost both of his legs in a high speed crash - is nominated in the same category after getting back behind the wheel.

Speaking about his nomination, Farah said: "2017 was an incredible year for me.

"I'm overwhelmed with the support and recognition I've already received but winning a Laureus statuette would be amazing. It would be even more special given the super talented sportsmen I'm up against."

Farah retired from the track in 2017 after winning 10,000m World Championship gold in August, but will run in this year's London Marathon. Four-time Tour de France champion Froome - who is currently facing questions after returning an "adverse" drugs test - was nominated after becoming the first British winner of the Vuelta a Espana.

Lewis Hamilton won his fourth Formula 1 world title, while Joshua unified the WBA, IBO and IBF heavyweight titles.

Chapecoense - the Brazilian football club who lost the majority of their team in a plane crash in 2016 - are nominated in the Comeback of the Year category.

The winners, as voted for by members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, will be revealed in Monaco on 27 February.

Sportsman of the Year award

Roger Federer (Switzerland) tennis, Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) football, Mo Farah (GB) athletics, Chris Froome (GB) cycling, Lewis Hamilton (GB) Formula 1, Rafael Nadal (Spain) tennis.

Sportswoman of the Year award

Garbine Muguruza (Spain) tennis, Caster Semenya (South Africa) athletics, Serena Williams (US) tennis, Allyson Felix (US) athletics, Katie Ledecky (US) swimming, Mikaela Shiffrin (US) alpine skiing.

Team of the Year

France's Davis Cup team (tennis), Golden State Warriors (basketball), Mercedes-AMG Petronas (Formula 1), New England Patriots (American football), New Zealand's America's Cup team (sailing), Real Madrid (football).

Breakthrough of the Year

Anthony Joshua (GB) boxing, Kylian Mbappe (France) football, Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) tennis, Sergio Garcia (Spain) golf, Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) basketball, Caeleb Dressel (US) swimming.

Comeback of the Year

FC Barcelona (Spain) football, Roger Federer (Switzerland) tennis, Valentino Rossi (Italy) motorsport, Sally Pearson (Australia) athletics, Justin Gatlin (US) athletics, Chapecoense (Brazil) football.

Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability

Marcel Hug (Switzerland) para athletics, Yui Kamiji (Japan) wheelchair tennis, Oksana Masters (US) cross-country skiing, Bibian Mentel-Spee (Netherlands) snowboarding, Jetze Plat (Netherlands) ironman, Markus Rehm (Germany) long jump.

Action Sportsperson of the Year

Tyler Wright (Australia) surfing, John John Florence (US) surfing, Anna Gasser (Austria) snowboarding, Mark McMorris (Canada) snowboarding, Nyjah Huston (US) skateboarding, Armel Le Cleac'h (France) sailing.

Best Sporting Moment of the Year

The Iowa Hawkeyes and the 'Kinnick Wave' (US) American football, Bradley Lowery and his special bond with Jermain Defoe (GB) football, Kimi Raikkonen and his six-year-old fan Thomas Danel (Finland) Formula 1, Chapecoense (Brazil) football, Billy Monger (GB) motorsport.

(BBC)