From Verstappen to Lewandowski - Sporting icons celebrate Laureus Awards honour

From Max Verstappen and Elaine Thompson-Herah to Robert Lewandowski and Valentino Rossi - here's a look at all those sporting icons who were honoured with the 2022 Laureus Award at the digital awards ceremony in Seville on Sunday. 

Formula One icon Max Verstappen became the first Dutchman to bag the world championship when he clinched his maiden crown by beating seven-time winner Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December 2021. For this achievement, the Red Bull racer was honoured with the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year 2022 award.

Verstappen, who won Sunday's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, expressed joy over receiving this top honour. "A big thank you to everyone from the Laureus Academy for voting for me. It's not only me, but it's also the whole team behind me, working on two cars to perform, giving me the opportunity to win the championship & this award," the Dutchman said. "Really honored to be crowned World Sportsman of the Year by @laureussport. Off course I have to thank @redbullracing, as I couldn't have managed this without their incredible support. A special thank you goes out to my dad @MaVic009. I'll never forget everything he did #Laureus22," the Red Bull driver wrote on Twitter.

Jamaica's Elaine Thompson-Herah became the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic sprint doubles when she retained her 100m and 200m titles in Tokyo last year and capped a memorable Games with gold in the 4x100m relay.

"I know Usain (Bolt) has won Laureus Awards before, so to bring this trophy back home to the Caribbean, also in Jamaica, is very special. I have watched that (100m) race about a thousand times now. I would say I am very, very proud, but I cannot dwell on the past… My motivation is to be even better. I told myself that I want to be the greatest female sprinter," Thompson-Herah said in an audio-visual played during the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Poland international and Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski bagged the Exceptional Achievement award after scoring a Bundesliga record of 41 goals last season to break Gerd Muller's 49-year-old mark. "I would like to thank Laureus Academy for their worth. It really means a lot to be recognised and appreciated by such wonderful people, athletes and legends from all over the world of sports," the 33-year-old said.

Italy's soccer team were named Team of the Year for the second time after winning the 2020 European Championship, having previously received the honour after winning the World Cup in 2006. Giorgio Chiellini accepted the award on behalf of the team and said, "Last year was fantastic for us. We won the European championship and that is more than a dream for me and my teammates. We are very happy to receive this award."

British teenager Emma Raducanu took the Breakthrough of the Year prize after her fairytale New York triumph in September when she claimed the U.S. Open title as a qualifier. "Thank you so much to the Laureus Academy for voting. It means so much to receive this award. I want to congratulate my other nominees. It's been a really great year for me, but I've still got a lot of work to do," she said.

NFL great Tom Brady, who made a U-turn on his retirement plans this year, was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award after winning a record seventh Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "Thank you so much. Receiving the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award is an amazing honour and being voted by so many incredible athletes all around the world," he said.

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Seven-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi, who called time on a career spanning more than two decades last year, won the Sporting Icon award — his third Laureus honour having scooped the Comeback of the Year (2011) and Spirit of Sport (2006) awards. "This is a very special prize. I have to thank the Laureus Academy. I was lucky I had a very long career. But for me, the special thing about my story is that a lot of people around the world know MotoGP, a Motorcycle race, because they follow me. This is a great feeling for me because this is a sport I love."

Among the other winners to receive the Laureus Awards are: Comeback of the Year - Sky Brown, Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability - Marcel Hug, Action Sportsperson of the Year - Bethany Shriever, Sport for Good Award - Lost Boyz Inc., Sport for Good Society Award - Real Madrid Foundation, Athlete Advocate of the Year - Gerald Asamoah and the Black Eagles