St Lucia’s first-ever Olympic gold medallist Julien Alfred has been nominated for the Breakthrough of the Year Award at the 25th anniversary Laureus World Sports Awards, set to take place in Madrid on April 21.
Alfred, who made history for the Caribbean Island nation at the recent Olympics, joins a distinguished shortlist of breakthrough stars including fellow Olympic champions Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and Canadian swimmer Summer McIntosh.
The list of nominees in this category also features young football sensation Lamine Yamal, NBA rookie standout Victor Wembanyama, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga-winning team.
The Laureus World Sports Awards, widely regarded as the most prestigious honors in global sport, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, returning to Madrid where last year’s ceremony honoured stars including Simone Biles, Jude Bellingham, and Novak Djokovic.
Winners are determined through votes cast by the 69 sporting legends who make up the Laureus World Sports Academy, with the iconic Laureus statuette considered one of the most coveted prizes in sports.