Chad le Clos, Mireia Belmonte and Ning Ze Tao are all in contention to be placed on the shortlist for the prestigious Laureus Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards.
The shortlist for both awards will be announced on February 11th. The crowning of the winners will happen at a ceremony at the Grand Theatre in Shanghai on April 15th. American Missy Franklin not only made the 2014 shortlist but won the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award.
In the 15 year history of the awards a swimmer has never won the Sportsman of the Year Award.
le Clos once again was the king of the World Cup Series finishing first for the second year in a row and for the third time out of the last four years.
At the World Short Course Championships he came away with wins in the 50, 100 and 200 butterfly as well as the 200 freestyle. He also set a world record in the 100 butterfly.
This summer the South African won Commonwealth gold in both the 100 and 200 butterfly events.
China’s Ning, at 21, won four gold medals in the Asian Games, in 50m, 100m 4 x 100m freestyle relay and 4 x 100m medley relay.
Belmonte won the 400 and 800 freestyle, 200 butterfly and 400 IM at the World Short Course Championships in Doha. At the same competition she set new world records in the 200 butterfly and 400 IM and went on to break the 1500 freestyle world record at the Spanish Championships the next weekend.
She also collected gold in the 1500 freestyle and 200 butterfly as well as silver in the 400 IM and 800 freestyle and bronze in the 400 freestyle at the European Championships in Berlin. Belmonte also finished in a tie for third in the World Cup rankings.
More information on the Laureus Awards can be found here.
Moltes felicitats Mireia