PARIS, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Nominees for seven categories of the 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards were announced on Thursday following vote by world sports media, highlighted by shining stars at the FIFA World Cup and PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.
French soccer talent Kylian Mbappe and Croatian star Luka Modric are nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, and FIFA world champions France are in contention for Laureus World Team of the Year.
Ester Ledecka and Mikaela Shiffrin feature in the nomination list for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year due to their glittering performance at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. The Norway Winter Olympics team are also recognized in the Laureus World Team of the Year category.
Modric guided Croatia to their first ever final appearance at the FIFA World Cup, winning the tournament's Golden Ball himself. He also achieved his third consecutive UEFA Champions League title with La Liga club Real Madrid, and took away the Best FIFA Men's Player and Ballon d'Or awards in 2018.
Mbappe, just at the age of 20, lifted the World Cup with France last summer in Russia, and bagged the tournament's Best Young Player award.
Joining the duo in the list are five-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, Kenyan marathon world record-breaker Eliud Kipchoge, tennis world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and NBA star Lebron James.
For the women's category, Ledecka became the first women to have won gold in two separate disciplines, in snowboarding and alpine skiing last year in PyeongChang. Shiffrin was the Olympic gold medalist in alpine skiing giant slalom.
They are joined in the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award category by four-time gymnast all-around world champion Simone Biles, Grand Slam tennis champions Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber, and four-time ironman world champion Daniela Ryf.
After winning their fifth straight Formula One Constructors World Championship, Mercedes AMG Team pick up their third nomination in a row for the Laureus World Team of the Year. Joining them and France Men's Football Team in a category are three-time reigning champions of UEFA Champions League Real Madrid, Winter Olympic medal table topping side Norway Winter Olympics Team, NBA champions Golden State Warriors and the victorious European Ryder Cup Team.
Other nominees from the Winter Olympics include American skiing great Lindsey Vonn and Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu in the Laureus World Comeback of the Year category, along with US Tour Championship winner Tiger Woods, who won his first tournament in five years.
Trailblazing Spaniard Ana Carrasco, the first woman to have secured a motor cycling world title, is nominated for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year. She is joined by five other nominees including Japan's first ever Grand Slam tennis singles champion Naomi Osaka and Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas.
Nominees for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability and the Laureus Action Sportsperson of the Year awards have also been announced.
The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognize sporting achievement throughout previous year, are the premier honors on the international sporting calendar.
The winners, voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy members, will be unveiled at the 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony in Monaco on Feb. 18.
