Track and field legend Usain Bolt has been nominated for the World Sportsman-of-the-Year award.
His compatriot Elaine Thompson, was also among the nominees for the prestigious Laureus World Sports Woman-of-the-Year.
Bolt, until recently a three-time winner of the World Sportsman-of-the-Year award, successfully defended his Olympic 100 meters, 200 meters and 4×100 relay titles at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
However, on Wednesday, Jan. 25 he lost his claim to the title of ‘triple-triple’ Olympic champion as a result of one of his team mates in the 4x100m retrospectively tested positive for a banned substance and caused the 2008 Beijing gold medal winners to be stripped of their title. Nesta Carter, his team mate who failed the test is the sixth fastest runner of all time, ran the first leg in the relay.
The 30-year-old Jamaican previously won the award in 2009, 2010 and 2013- but this time faces a stiff challenge.
Rio Olympics 5,000 and 10,000 meters champion Mo Farah and tennis gold medal winner Andy Murray have been short-listed, along with football megastar Cristiano Ronaldo and NBA basketball superstars Lebron James and Stephen Curry.
Thompson is one of six Olympic champions nominated for Sportswoman-of-the-Year award. The 24-year-old Jamaican captured the double sprint of the 100 and 200 titles in Rio. It is her first nomination for the award.
