South African athlete, Oscar Pistorius, the first amputee to win track medal in non-disabled World Championships, joins a glittering collection of the world’s greatest sports stars in the nominations for the 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards, following a ballot by the world’s media.

‘Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius and Czech tennis star Petra Kvitova were both nominated in two categories – Kvitova for Sportswoman and Breakthrough, while athlete Pistorius qualifies for the Breakthrough and Disability Awards.  Argentina’s charismatic football star Lionel Messi has been nominated for the third straight time for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award. His team FC Barcelona are also nominated as Laureus World Team of the Year for the fourth time. Surfing legend and three-time winner Kelly Slater is nominated once more for the Laureus Action Sports Award.

The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during the calendar year 2011, are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar.   The winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 47 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be unveiled at a televised Awards Ceremony staged in London on Monday, February 6.

Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which supports 89 community sports projects around the world. Since its inception, Laureus has raised €40 million for projects which have improved the lives of more than one-and-a-half million young people.

Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman Edwin Moses comments: “This has been a great year for sport and the Academy are going to find it extremely difficult to decide who to vote for as winners. We have had several massive performances in 2011 both by individuals and teams and that has been reflected in the Nominations. I congratulate all the Nominees and now we look forward to what should be a great Awards Ceremony in February in London.”

The full list of nominees for the 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards is:

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

Usain Bolt (Jamaica) Athletics – two gold medals in World Athletics Championships in Daegu

Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Tennis – won Australian, Wimbledon and US Open Grand Slams

Cadel Evans (Australia) Cycling – winner of the Tour de France

Lionel Messi (Argentina) Football – FC Barcelona’s star player, scored 53 goals in 2010/11 season

Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) Basketball – first European to be named MVP at NBA Finals

Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Motor Racing – won second straight F1 World Championship at 24

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) Athletics – won World Championship 5k & 10K and cross-country title

Maria Höfl-Riesch (Germany) Alpine Skiing – beat Lindsey Vonn to win overall World Cup

Carmelita Jeter (US) Athletics – won 100m and 4 x 100m relay gold medals in World Championships

Petra Kvitova (Czech) Tennis – won her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon, plus WTA Championship

Homare Sawa (Japan) Football – won Golden Ball and Golden Boot in FIFA World Cup

Yani Tseng (Taiwan) Golf – at 22, won two golf Majors and headed LPGA money list by over US$1m

Laureus World Team of the Year

All Blacks (N.Zealand) Rugby – won 2011 Rugby World Cup in their own country

FC Barcelona (Spain) Football – won Champions League and Spanish League in 2010/11

Dallas Mavericks (US) Basketball – won their first ever NBA Championship

England Cricket Team – became world No 1 after Ashes win in Australia and beating India 4-0

Japan Women’s Football Team – became first Asian team to win FIFA Women’s World Cup

Red Bull (Austria) Motor Racing – won second straight F1 Constructors World Championship

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year

Yohan Blake (Jamaica) Athletics – at 21, won 100m gold medal in World Championships

Mo Farah (UK) Athletics – winner of the 5,000 metres gold medal in the World Championships

Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) Tennis – at 21, won her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon

Rory McIlroy (UK) Golf – at 22, won US Open, his first Major Championship

Li Na (China) Tennis – won French Open to become China’s first ever Grand Slam winner

Oscar Pistorius (SA) Athletics – first amputee to win track medal in non-disabled World Championships

Laureus World Comeback of the Year

Eric Abidal (France) Football – beat cancer to play in winning Barcelona Champions League team

Darren Clarke (UK) Golf – at 42, recovered from slump in form to win Open Championship

Crusaders (NZ) Rugby – despite Christchurch earthquake, Crusaders reached final of Super 15

Sergio Garcia (Spain) Golf – won two European Tour events, after three years without a victory

Liu Xiang (China) Athletics – after 2008 Olympic disappointment, won silver in World Championships

Queensland Reds (Australia) Rugby – won Super 15 rugby despite floods in Queensland

Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability

Daniel Dias (Brazil) Swimming – won 11 gold medals in 11 events at Parapan Games

Terezinha Guilhermina (Brazil) Athletics – won 4 gold medals in IPC World Championships

Oscar Pistorius (SA) Athletics – first amputee to win track medal in non-disabled World Championships

Esther Vergeer (Netherlands) Wheelchair Tennis – unbeaten in singles for more than eight years

David Weir (UK) Wheelchair Athletics – won 3 gold medals in IPC World Championships

Irek Zaripov (Russia) Nordic Skiing – won 6 medals in IPC World Skiing Championships

Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year

Jamie Bestwick (UK) BMX – came back from fractured skull to win 5th straight X Games gold

Philip Köster (Germany) Windsurfing – became PWA Wave World Champion at 17

Carissa Moore (US) Surfing – won her first World Surfing Championship at 19

Travis Rice (US) Snowboarding – takes on the world’s most intimidating descents

Kelly Slater (US) Surfing – won 11th World Surfing Championship at 39

Shaun White (US) Skateboarding/Snowboarding – won Winter and Summer X Games gold