Among the night’s big winners were Paris 2024 Olympic champions Armand Duplantis, Simone Biles, and Rebeca Andrade, who were recognized for their exceptional achievements over the past year.

Armand Duplantis and Simone Biles, the main stars

Sweden’s Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year after his historic performance at Paris 2024, where he defended his Olympic pole vault title and broke the world record for the ninth time. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime type of award, and I’m not going to take it for granted,” Duplantis said upon receiving his statuette.

Meanwhile, Simone Biles was honored as Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year for the fourth time, following her outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics, where she broke records and reaffirmed her place as one of the greatest gymnasts in history.

Rebeca Andrade and Lamine Yamal, examples of youth

Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade received the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award for her inspiring recovery from injuries that led her to shine at Paris 2024. Andrade shared her recognition with her teammate and rival Simone Biles, highlighting the camaraderie between competitors.

Seventeen-year-old Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal was awarded the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award after his remarkable performance at the 2024 UEFA European Championship, where he became a hero for Spain.

Rafael Nadal, Kelly Slater and their careers

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal received the Laureus Sporting Icon Award, becoming only the second athlete in history to earn this recognition. Nadal, who announced his retirement in 2024, expressed his gratitude for the award and emphasized the importance of inspiring others through sports.

American surfer Kelly Slater was honored with the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award for his legendary career, which includes 11 world titles. Slater highlighted the value of being recognized by his peers and the impact of sports on society.

Winners of the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards

• Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award: Mondo Duplantis
• Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award: Simone Biles
• Laureus World Team of the Year Award: Real Madrid
• Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award: Lamine Yamal
• Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award: Rebeca Andrade
• Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award: Jiang Yuyan
• Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award: Tom Pidcock
• Laureus Sport for Good Award: Kick4Life
• Laureus Sporting Icon Award: Rafael Nadal
• Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award: Kelly Slater

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Duplantis has been the undisputed dominant force in pole vaulting since setting his first world record in February 2020. His ability to continuously improve his mark has been a constant topic in athletics, and his failure in Uppsala made headlines due to his exceptional consistency. Despite his disappointment, Duplantis expressed satisfaction with the competition and his performance, emphasizing that he had given his best effort.

A CONSTANT CHALLENGE

Duplantis’ next major event will be the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Nanjing, China, from March 21 to 23. There, he will aim to get closer to his goal of reaching 6.30 meters this season. Duplantis has stated that his “greatest dream” is to break the world record on Swedish soil, increasing anticipation for his upcoming attempts. With his talent and dedication, Duplantis remains the benchmark in pole vaulting, and his ability to push his own limits continues to be a topic of constant interest in the athletics world.

The fact that not breaking a world record becomes news reflects the high expectations surrounding Duplantis. His dominance in the discipline has led to each competition being seen as an opportunity for him to set a new mark, turning his performances into major media events. As his career progresses, Duplantis will continue to be a focal point in athletics, and his ability to surpass his own records will remain a source of fascination for fans.

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In a thrilling pole vault final at the Stade de France, competitors gave their all to outwit Duplantis. American Sam Kendricks and Greek Emmanouil Karalis joined him in the attempt to clear 6.00 meters. Once Duplantis secured the Olympic gold at that height, his focus shifted to setting a new world record.

Raising the bar to a record height of 6.25 meters, Duplantis narrowly missed on his first two attempts. On his third and final attempt, he successfully cleared the crossbar, sending the stadium into a frenzy.

“Who is like us? Sweden is on top!” Duplantis exclaimed into the TV cameras afterward. This was the ninth time Duplantis has broken the world record. He first set the record in February 2020 with a jump of 6.17 meters in Torun, Poland. His latest achievement also surpasses the Olympic record of 6.03 meters, set by Brazilian Thiago Braz in 2016.

“It doesn’t matter if there are 80,000 here screaming my name”

Reflecting on the moment, Duplantis described the electrifying atmosphere: “It’s the sickest thing I’ve ever been a part of. There were so many people and so much energy and so much noise when I ran on the approach. So I just tried to breathe. It’s just pole vaulting. It doesn’t matter if there are 80,000 here screaming my name. It gave a lot of energy.”

His victory in Paris makes him only the third pole vaulter to win two Olympic golds, joining the ranks of Bob Richards (1952 and 1956) and Yelena Isinbayeva (2004 and 2008). “I am very proud. I am happy that I could take the gold back to Sweden. I felt all the support tonight from the Swedish people, and it was incredible,” he told ‘SVT Sport’.

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