South African Olympic champion and 400-metre world record holder Wayde van Niekerk has been nominated for a prestigious Laureus World Sports Award.

Van Niekerk is a nominee in the Breakthrough of the Year category at the annual awards showcase to be held in Monaco on Feb 14. Van Niekerk obliterated the world record in the 400 metres to announce his arrival as a force in world sprinting.

Receiving a Laureus nomination further underlines his arrival on the world stage.

I always think the Laureus Breakthrough Award is one of the most intriguing ones to judge. You can get a fascinating mix of young talent and experienced sportsmen and women who have achieved something special,” said former All Black captain and Laureus World Sports Academy chairman Sean Fitzpatrick when announcing the nominees in Monaco Wednesday.

“This year, we have a classic line-up with some really outstanding nominees, including some unforgettable individual and team performances. The nominees (for Breakthrough of the Year) are: Almaz Ayana, the Fiji rugby Sevens team, the Iceland men’s football team, Leicester City Football Club, Wayde Van Niekerk and Nico Rosberg,

Van Niekerk faces some pretty stiff competition from other arguably equally compelling performances. However, breaking a sprinting record that many thought would not fall for years to come must surely count for something.

Source: Nam News Network