On April 21, 2025, the Laureus World Sports Awards 2025 was held at the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain. This year’s event marked the 25th anniversary of the global sports awards that celebrate the achievements of the world’s most outstanding athletes and sportspersons.
- Armand Gustav Duplantis, also known as Mondo Duplantis, a pole vaulter from Sweden, was honoured with the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award 2025. Meanwhile, Simone Biles, a gymnast from the United States of America (USA), received the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award 2025.
About Laureus World Sports Awards 2025:
i.The awards, presented by the Laureus World Sports Academy, recognised 10 winners out of 47 nominees, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal (youngest winner), and 53-year-old Kelly Slater (oldest honoree).
ii.The 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards recognize Olympic and Paralympic champions, sports legends, and organizations leveraging sport for social impact.
- The ceremony celebrated the most exceptional athletes, teams, and sporting achievements of 2024.
Highlights:
i.Mondo Duplantis received his first Laureus award following after he broke his pole vault world record twice in 2024 and won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
- He became the second track-and-field athlete to win this award after Usain Bolt (Jamaica).
ii.Simone Biles won the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award for the fourth time, equalling the record of Serena Williams, a tennis player from the USA.
- She won three gold and one silver medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
- She won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award in 2017, 2019, and 2020, and was honoured with the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award in 2024.
iii.Real Madrid Men’s Football Team of Spain won the Laureus World Team of the Year.
- The team won La Liga (36th title), Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League (15th title), Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup, and Intercontinental Cup in the 2024–25 season.
iv.Lamine Yamal, a football player of Spain, won the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year, becoming the second footballer after Jude Bellingham (England) to win this award.
- He was the youngest scorer (17 years) in the UEFA Euro 2024 Final and led Spain to victory.
v.Jiang Yuyan, a para swimmer from China, was honoured with Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability. She won 7 gold medals at the 2024 Paralympic Games, with 2 world records.
vi.Rafael Nadal, Spain tennis player won the Laureus Sporting Icon Award.
- He is the only athlete to have won all four major Laureus Awards – Sportsman of the Year, Comeback of the Year, Breakthrough of the Year, and Sport for Good Award.
- He became the second recipient of the Sporting Icon Award, following Italian motorcyclist Valentino Rossi, who won the inaugural award in 2022.
Winners of Laureus World Sports Awards 2025:
| Award Category | Name of the Winner | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award | Armand Gustav Duplantis(Mondo Duplantis) (Sweden) | Pole Vault |
| Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award | Simone Arianne Biles Owens (USA) | Gymnastics |
| Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award | Rebeca Rodrigues de Andrade (Brazil) | Gymnastics |
| Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award | Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana(Spain) | Football |
| Laureus World Team of the Year Award | Real Madrid Men’s Football Team (Spain) | Football |
| Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability | Jiang Yuyan (China) | Para Swimming |
| Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award | Thomas Pidcock(United Kingdom, UK) | Cyclist |
| Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award | Robert Kelly Slater(USA) | Surfing |
| Laureus Sporting Icon Award | Rafael Nadal Parera (Spain) | Tennis |
| Laureus Sport for Good Award | Kick4Life (Lesotho) | Charity foundation |
About Laureus World Sports Awards:
i.The Laureus World Sports Awards also known as the “Oscars of Sports,”were initiated in 2000 in Monaco. It honours excellence in sports and promotes the values of using sport as a tool for change.
ii.The awards are organized by the United Kingdom(UK)-based Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which aims to use sport as a tool for social change.
iii.The awards are voted on by 69 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, consisting of former sporting legends.
iv.Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, was the founding patron of the movement.
Points to Note:
i.Swiss tennis player Roger Federer holds the record for the most awards with six awards, and Serena Williams and Simone Biles hold the record for most awards held by a female, each with five awards.
ii.Neeraj Chopra, Indian Javelin Thrower, was appointed as a Laureus Ambassador in 2023. He became the second Indian to receive this honour after former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh.
Recent Related News:
In March 2025, Indian Men’s hockey team captain, Harmanpreet Singh was honoured with the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year 2024 in the men’s category, at the Hockey India 7th Annual Awards held at Le Meridien, Connaught Palace in New Delhi, Delhi. This marked his 2nd Hockey India Player of the Year award (2021).
