PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
South African athlete Semenya nominated for top sports award
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Olympic and world 800-metre champion Caster Semenya has been confirmed as South Africa's only nominee for the 2018 Laureus World Sports Awards.
Semenya is up for honours in the World Sportswoman of the Year category and will square up against Wimbledon champion Garbiñe Muguruza and an all-American quartet of tennis superstar Serena Williams, athlete Allyson Felix, 19-year-old swimming sensation Katie Ledecky, and overall World Cup champion skier Mikaela Shiffrin.
Tennis superstar Roger Federer's impressive return to form after a knee injury, which saw him win his sixth Australian Open and eighth Wimbledon titles, sees him nominated in both the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year and Laureus World Comeback of the Year categories.
The athletes were nominated following a ballot by the global sports media.
Semenya won gold in the women's 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships and at the 2017 World Championships.
She also won silver medals at the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Summer Olympics, both in the 800 metres.
She was the winner of the gold medal in the 800 metre event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Following her victory at the 2009 World Championships, it was announced that she had been subjected to gender testing. She was withdrawn from international competition until July 2010 when the IAAF cleared her to return to competition.
The award ceremony will be held on 26 February in Monaco.
-0- PANA CU/MA 29Jan2018
Semenya is up for honours in the World Sportswoman of the Year category and will square up against Wimbledon champion Garbiñe Muguruza and an all-American quartet of tennis superstar Serena Williams, athlete Allyson Felix, 19-year-old swimming sensation Katie Ledecky, and overall World Cup champion skier Mikaela Shiffrin.
Tennis superstar Roger Federer's impressive return to form after a knee injury, which saw him win his sixth Australian Open and eighth Wimbledon titles, sees him nominated in both the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year and Laureus World Comeback of the Year categories.
The athletes were nominated following a ballot by the global sports media.
Semenya won gold in the women's 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships and at the 2017 World Championships.
She also won silver medals at the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Summer Olympics, both in the 800 metres.
She was the winner of the gold medal in the 800 metre event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Following her victory at the 2009 World Championships, it was announced that she had been subjected to gender testing. She was withdrawn from international competition until July 2010 when the IAAF cleared her to return to competition.
The award ceremony will be held on 26 February in Monaco.
-0- PANA CU/MA 29Jan2018
