The prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards 2012 nominees have been announced and British sport has received a record six nominations.
The names of the nominees were announced in London today by Laureus Sports Academy Members Lord Sebastian Coe, Sean Fitzpatrick, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Daley Thompson.
One British representative is the England Cricket Team, who became the number one ranked Test team in the world following emphatic series wins against Australia and India.
Northern Ireland golf pair Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke have both been nominated. McIlroy has been nominated for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award for his stunning US Masters win while Clarke features in the World Comeback of the Year category for winning the Open Championship.
British long-distance runner Mo Farah joins McIlroy in the Breakthrough nominations for his World Championship 5,000m gold medal. BMX star Jamie Bestwick represents the UK in the Action Sportsperson of the Year category while David Weir is up for the Sportsperson of the Year with a Disibility award for his three Wheelchair Athletics gold medals at the IPC World Championships.
The 2012 Awards will be held in London on February 6 and Mayor Boris Johnson has praised the Laureus Foundation for it's influence within sport.
"I am excited that the Laureus World Sports Awards and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation have decided to bring the Awards to London for 2012. Laureus and I share a commitment to making sport a positive part of everyone's life regardless of age and ability," he said.
"Celebrating the power of sport here in London with the world's sporting superstars will provide the perfect start to our Olympic year and it marks the beginning of a real and long-lasting grassroots sports legacy for London and beyond."
The World Sportsman of the Year Award will be a fiercely contested category with a number of supreme athletes making up the list.
Sprinter Usain Bolt, who won 200m and 4x100m gold at the World Athletics Championship, is joined by Barcelona superstar and the world's finest footballer Lionel Messi.
Australian Tour de France champion Cadel Evans - the oldest winner in the post-war era - and Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki- the NBA's first European MVP after he guided the Mavs to their first ever title - are also included.
Completing the category are Red Bull's Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel after he became the sport's youngest ever double champion and tennis star Novak Djokovic.
World number one Djokovic has enjoyed an incredible season that saw him become the dominant force in mens tennis, winning three of the four grand slams and featuring in all four semi-finals. Djokovic also enjoyed a 43-match unbeaten run and his 31 matches unbeaten in Masters Events is a world record.
The Sportswoman of the Year category includes Kenyan 5,00m and 10,000m World Championship gold medallist Vivian Cheruiyot, German Alpine Skiing World Cup winner Maria Hofl-Riesch, and Czech Republic Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
American 100m and 4x100m World Champion Carmelita Jeter, Japan's World Cup winning football captain Homare Sawa and Taiwanese golfer - and winner of two Majors - Yani Tseng complete the women's category.
