- Title: MONACO: THE FORTH ANNUAL LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS IN MONTE CARLO.
- Date: 21st May 2003
- Summary: MONTE CARLO, MONACO (MAY 21, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF THE PRINCIPALITY 2. LAUREUS SIGN 3. BRAZILIAN SOCCER PLAYER RONALDO, WHO WON COMEBACK OF THE YEAR AND WITH REST OF BRAZILIAN SQUAD THE NATIONAL TEAM AWARD 4. ACTOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, WHO WON SPORT FOR GOOD AWARD, TALKING TO PRINCE ALBERT OF MONACO 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER SAYING: "I think it's very important to come from a very stable background. I think that athletics gives us a certain stability, an inner strength that is unlike anything else. I see it in Hollywood every day, I see a lot of people, even though they are very successful, they go and take drugs and drink too much, then they have to go to rehab' (rehabilitation) and all this kind of stuff. When you come from sports you don't have to go through all this stuff, you have great inner strength and discipline, which you learn in sports like no other place" 6. FORMULA ONE DRIVER DAVID COULTHARD AND PARTNER 7. PHOTOGRAPHERS 8. U.S. TENNIS SISTERS SERENA AND VENUS WILLIAMS -- SERENA WON SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR 9. SINGER AND SOCCER FAN ROD STEWART MIS-KICKING A BALL 10. U.S. CYCLIST LANCE ARMSTRONG WITH SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD 11. AWARD 12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. CYCLIST LANCE ARMSTRONG SAYING: "It's an honour and it's humbling to win something like that and you know it's nice to be selected by a board, or a group of people that are fans and experts of sport" 13. SERENA WILLIAMS WITH AWARD 14. RONALDO POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS 15. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BRAZILIAN SOCCER PLAYER RONALDO SPEAKING 16. PRINCIPALITY AT NIGHT Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th June 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MONTE CARLO, MONACO
- Country: Monaco
- Reuters ID: LVABW50SVQ67ATUCOB17HGYFVI21
- Story Text: Sports mixed with showbusiness in Monaco when the 4th
annual Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony took place on
Tuesday (May 20).
Americans Lance Armstrong and Serena Williams were named
the sportsman and sportswoman of the year, Ronaldo won the
Comeback of the Year trophy and Terminator actor Arnold
Schwarzenegger received the Sport for Good award.
It was a glittering evening that attracted royalty as
well as movie stars, entertainers and a worldwide television
audience estimated at 320 million.
More than 40 members of the Laureus Academy decide who
receives the awards.
Funds are raised for the Sport for Good Foundation, which has 20
projects around the world that help 100,000 children.
Schwarzenegger summed up what he saw as the importance of
sport.
"I think it's very important to come from a very stable
background. I think that athletics gives us a certain
stability, an inner strength that is unlike anything else. I
see it in Hollywood every day, I see a lot of people, even
though they are very successful, they go and take drugs and
drink too much, then they have to go to rehab'
(rehabilitation) and all this kind of stuff," said
Schwarzenegger.
"When you come from sports you don't have to go through
all this stuff, you have great inner strength and discipline,
which you learn in sports like no other place."
Sports fans as well as stars are involved in the Laureus
awards, like singer Rod Stewart -- who seems to sing better
than he plays.
U.S. cyclist Armstrong beat Formula One driver Michael
Schumacher, Ronaldo and Norway's record-breaking biathlete Ole
Einar Bjoerndalen in the sportsman category.
It was the second award Armstrong has received from the
Laureus Sports Academy.
He got the Comeback of the Year award in 2000, two years after
successful treatment for testicular cancer.
This year Armstrong will attempt to equal Miguel
Indurain's record of five Tour de France wins.
He said of the Laureus award: "It's an honour and it's
humbling to win something like that and you know it's nice to
be selected by a board, or a group of people that are fans and
experts of sport."
Serena Williams had a sparkling 2002, winning the French,
Wimbledon and U.S. Opens before completing what she dubbed the
'Serena Slam' with the Australian Open title in January.
She took the award ahead of Swedish golfer Annika
Sorenstam, British marathon world record holder Paula
Radcliffe, U.S. sprinter Marion Jones and Croatian skier
Janica Kostelic.
While Ronaldo missed out on the Sportsman of the Year, his
performances in Brazil's successful World Cup campaign 2002
earned him the Comeback of the Year award.
He also accepted the Team of the Year award on behalf of the Brazil
World Cup team.
Battered by serious knee injuries, the Real Madrid striker
played just six minutes of competitive soccer between October
1998 and November 21, 1999, leaving his career cloaked in
doubt.
But he rebounded in spectacular fashion in 2002, scoring
both goals in Brazil's 2-0 win over Germany in the World Cup
final, lifting his country to an unprecedented fifth title.
The Academy's 41 member panel chose Ronaldo above Austrian
skier Hermann Maier, Kostelic, tennis player Pete Sampras and
German swimmer Franziska Van Almsick.
Chinese basketball player Yao Ming grabbed Newcomer of the
Year honours over British soccer player Wayne Rooney, Dutch
speedskater Jochem Uytdehaage and tennis players Daniela
Hantuchova of Slovakia and Argentine David Nalbandian.
Australian skier Michael Milton won the World Sportsman of
the Year with a Disability while American speed climber Dean
Potter won the World Alternative Sportsperson of the Year.
Golfer Gary Player, the winner of nine majors, won the
Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award while Austrian actor Arnold
Schwarzenegger received the Laureus Sport for Good Award.
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