This award recognises
some other the true superstars of sport
They are providing some of the most
thrilling action the world has to offer
as we have just seen at the Winter Paralympics in Sochi.
Their efforts
continue to inspire and remind us
that nothing is impossible in sport
Here are the nominees
for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the year
with a Disability
Sophie Pascoe
The young New Zealander
produced a tour de force at the IPC Swimming World Championships
winning gold medals in all five of her events and setting
four world records. [And this has been another great performance]
Marcel Hug, one of the leading wheelchair racers of his generation who won five golds
at the IPC Athletics World Championships. He also snatched victory at the New York
City Marathon
by less than a second
Marie Bochet - the French woman became the first athlete in history to complete a
Grand Slam
of all five events at one Alpine Skiing World Championships
and this at just 19 years of age.
Sarah Louise Rung - the Norwegian put in a string of sensational performances
at the IPC Swimming World Championships in Montreal's taking
gold in four of her five events. [She finished with great technique to become the world champion]
Olga Sviderska
One of the standout women at the IPC Swimming World Championships
Sviderska won five individual and two relay golds
breaking three world records in the process
Tatyana McFadden, the American became the first athlete to win six gold medals
at a single IPC Athletics World Championships. She ended a dream year
by becoming the first athlete to complete the marathon grand slam.
[She rides her way to first place here in New York.] Applause
The Laureus Academy
has chosen Marie Bochet. [Applause]
To present the award
please welcome Academy member and Olympic gold medalist
Franz Klammer
Marie the Accedemy
have given you the award because of your dominance and outstanding
performance
in Paralympic skiing in 2013 having since
won three golds in Sochi for me
you already a contender for the next year's award. Congratulations
Thanks.
Hi everybody. My English is limited so
I'm just grateful to the Laureus Academy
for nominating me in this category and
giving me this prize. I am thinking about all of the
nominations. Amazing champions in this category
and I want to thank all people who enabled me to
arrive at this level and to arrive to win this prize.
It's a real honour for me
and thank you for that.
I have been
skiing very young. Everybody skied in my valley and
I thought maybe from five years old
I think I know my body and I know me
and I can say in the morning if I can - if it's a good day for me
[and Marie Bochet
she really has started to dominate this standing category.
You do a sport - you do it
because you like it. It's your inspiration. So I can actually say, "Wow
you can use, you carry on your success
to help other people to help
maybe the disabled children, and also maybe the
difficult case to live well with a disability
I say, maybe I can help them - and that's very cool
I think it's a good thing
Bochet goes into top spot!