By Olympic champions Armand Duplantis, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Katie Ledecky have been named among the nominees for the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards.
The awards ceremony will take place on April 20 at the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid. The shortlist was unveiled on Tuesday, March 3, by a panel of international sports journalists and broadcasters, with winners to be decided by members of the Laureus World Sports Academy.
Duplantis, the pole vault world record holder and reigning World Sportsman of the Year, is once again in contention for the top men’s prize after claiming the honour in 2025.
He is joined on the shortlist by Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, winner of two Grand Slam titles in 2025 and the 2023 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award, as well as Italian rival Jannik Sinner, who captured the 2025 Australian Open and Wimbledon Championships crowns.
Also nominated in the men’s category are French footballer Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner, MotoGP world champion Marc Márquez, and cycling star Tadej Pogačar, who secured his fourth Tour de France title in six years.
