The rankings were based on 471 votes, beating the record of 439 in 2019.Continue reading
Paralympic champion Luca Ekler has become the first Hungarian in 18 years to be shortlisted for the Laureus Awards, also known as the Oscars for sports, reports m4sport.hu.
In a statement, the Hungarian Paralympic Committee (MPB) said that just making it to the top six is a huge achievement. The Hungarian athlete, who won three gold and one silver medal at last year’s Para Athletics World Championships and set world records in the 200m and 400m flat race events, is only the second Hungarian in the 24-year history of the award to get a nomination.
It is a special pride for Hungary that the Paralympic, world, and European champion Luca Ekler is a finalist in the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award category and will be present at the award ceremony in Madrid on April 22,”
the MPB stated.
There has not yet been a Hungarian winner, but in 2006, there was a Hungarian finalist, also in the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award category, when Zsuzsanna Krajnyák, Paralympic silver and bronze medalist, world, and European wheelchair fencing champion, was among the best.
Zsuzsanna Krajnyák. Photo via Facebook/Krajnyák Zsuzsanna
On Monday, organizers announced the shortlist of finalists for this year’s Laureus World Sport Awards. Among the finalists in the men’s field are Lionel Messi and Max Verstappen, while Aitana Bonmatí and Iga Świątek are among the best in the women’s field.
The Laureus Awards have been held since 2000, and have been hosted by Nelson Mandela, José Manuel Barroso, and Albert II, Prince of Monaco. Tennis player Roger Federer has won the award four times, while Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Michael Schumacher, and Tiger Woods have collected the honor twice.
The gala awards are presented in various categories: World Sportsman of the Year, World Sportswoman of the Year, World Team of the Year, World Breakthrough of the Year, World Comeback of the Year, World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability, Action Sportsperson of the Year, Spirit of Sport Award (not every year), Sport for Good Award (not every year), and Lifetime Achievement Award.
Photo via Facebook/Laureus
Other finalists in the same category as Luca Ekler:
Simone Barlaam (Italian, para-swimming), Danilo Chufarov (Ukrainian, para-swimming), Diede de Groot (Dutch, wheelchair tennis), Nicole Murray (New Zealand, para-cycling), and Markus Rehm (German, para-athletics).
The nominees were selected on the basis of votes from 1,400 sports journalists and the final winners will be decided by the 71 members of the sports academy.
The award ceremony will take place on April 22 in Madrid, Spain.
Via m4sport; Featured image via via Facebook/Ekler Luca paralimpikon atléta