Nominees announced for Laureus World Sports Awards

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Nominees for the 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards were announced on Thursday. Picked by world sports media outlets, the following outstanding athletes and teams will be contending for this great international honor in seven categories:

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

Luka Modric (L) and Kylian Mbappe (R) won awards at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. /VCG Photo

Kylian Mbappe, 21, of world soccer champions France will be competing for the award with Luka Modric who almost won every major honor a soccer player could get in 2018. Meanwhile, four-time NBA MVP Lebron James, world's No.1 ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic, current world marathon record-holder Eliud Kipchoge and five-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton are also candidates.

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

Simona Halep (L) of Romania shakes hands with Angelique Kerber (R) of Germany at the 2018 Australian Open. /VCG Photo

Two 2018 Winter Olympic gold medalists in skiing, Ester Ledecka and Mikaela Shiffrin, will be joined by four-time World all-around champion gymnast Simone Biles, French Open champion Simona Halep, Wimbledon singles winner Angelique Kerber and four-time Ironman world champion Daniela Ryf in vying for the women's award.

Laureus World Team of the Year

Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport after winning the F1 Brazil Grand Prix and taking the constructors title. /VCG Photo

Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport who have won five straight Formula One Constructors World Championships will, for the third time chase the award. Their contenders will include the French men's national soccer team who won the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Real Madrid from La Liga for their straight UEFA Champions League title, Team Norway who won the most medals (39) and golds (14) at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, NBA champions the Golden State Warriors, and the victorious European Ryder Cup Team.

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year

Naomi Osaka holds her trophy after winning the title of the 2018 U.S. Open. /VCG Photo

Six new stars have been nomination: Ana Carrasco, the first female motorcycling world champion, Naomi Osaka, the first Japanese Grand Slam title winner (2018 U.S. Open), 17-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Norway's athletics champion in 1500- and 5000-meter events, Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas, 2018 Winter Olympic downhill golden medalist Sofia Goggia and Briana Williams who won both the 100m and the 200m sprinting at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships in Tampere.

Laureus World Comeback of the Year

Tiger Woods drives off the 10th hole tee box during the final round of the US Tour Championship. /VCG Photo

Tiger Woods who won his first tournament title in five years (US Tour Championship) is a candidate for the award. So too are wrestling champion Vinesh Phogat, India's first Laureus nominee and another four Winter Olympic/Paralympic athletes – Japanese figure skating genius Yuzuru Hanyu, Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris, US ski racing legend Lindsey Vonn and three-time Winter Paralympic gold medalist Bibian Mentel-Spee.

Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability

Gold medallists Henrieta Farkasova (R) of Slovakia and her guide Natalia Subrtova (L) celebrate on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Alpine Skiing Women's Gaint Slalom at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. /VCG Photo

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) picked three athletes to join three 2018 Winter Paralympic gold medalists Henrieta Farkasova, Brian McKeever and Oksana Masters for probably the tightest competition of all. The IPC's list includes wheelchair tennis star Diede de Groot who won titles at Wimbledon, the Australian Open and U.S. Open, undefeated Grigorios Polychronidis in bocce and Markus Rehm who holds the world record in the T64 men's long jump.

Laureus Action Sportsperson of the Year

Stephanie Gilmore of Australia competes during the women's final round of the World Surf League Surf Ranch Pro. /VCG Photo

The award in X Sports will probably go to a surfing or snowboarding superstar. Three from surfing, Stephanie Gilmore who tied world record of winning seven world titles, Gabriel Medina, men's world champion, and Maya Gabeira who broke the big-wave record will compete with two from snowboarding, Winter Olympic snowboard champions Chloe Kim and Shaun White as well as Big Air gold medallist Anna Gasser for the award.

66 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy will decide who can win the final awards via voting and the result will be unveiled on February 18 in Monaco.