Jamaica’s World and Olympic Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi, have been named the winner of the Laureus World Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year, respectively. The honors were given at the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards in Paris on Monday, May 8.
It is Fraser-Pryce’s first time winning the award in her sixth nomination. This victory follows her record-breaking season in which she claimed her fifth world 100m title and her fifth Diamond League trophy.
“This is the sixth time I’ve been nominated in this category, so to finally hold the Laureus Statuette in my hands is one of the greatest honors of my career,” said Fraser-Pryce. “When athletes have the spotlight, it’s important the example we set is the best it can be.”
“We have a responsibility to influence the next generation in a positive way and that’s what the Laureus Awards are all about.”
Fraser-Pryce, the 10-time world champion ran a world-leading 10.62 seconds and a historic seven sub-10.70 races in the event this season. That is said to be the most by any woman in the history of athletics.
The US 400-meter hurdles champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Polish tennis player Iga Swiatek, Spanish footballer Alexia Putellas, US alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, and US swimmer Katie Ledecky were the other five contenders shortlisted for the award.
Meanwhile, this is the second Laureus World Sportsman of the Year second win for Messi, who also received the honor in 2020 when shared the award with Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton.
Messi is a 2008 Olympic gold medalist, who in 2022 led Argentina to its first men’s World Cup title since 1986. The 35-year-old played a key role in the team winning title. He scored seven goals for Argentina throughout the World Cup, and two in the final against France.
This year, Messi was up against several other sporting heavyweights for the illustrious Laureus World Sportsman title. Also nominated were fellow Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, Formula One world champion Max Verstappen, tennis legend Rafael Nadal, and NBA icon Stephen Curry.
