Fed (4th time) & Henin (1st) win Laureus 2008 Awards

[barbadosan]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080218/sp_wl_afp/sportsawardslaureuswomen_080218153525

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (AFP) - Roger Federer won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award for 2008 on Monday. \
The Swiss star won three out of four Grand Slam tournaments in 2007, at Wimbledon and the US and Australian Opens, and was the losing finalist in the French Open.

He also won the season-ending Masters in Shanghai and finished the year World No.1 for the fourth time in a row.

At 26, he has won 12 Grand Slam titles, two shy of the record held by the retired Pete Sampras.

It was also the fourth straight year he has taken the Laureus world award, the first man to do so.

"I am just happy that the jury didn't think that three is enough," said Federer.

"We get a lot of awards during the year. It might be national, it might be regional, but the Laureus is the one that goes worldwide.

Referring to his loss to Novak Djokovic in the semi-final of the Australian Open last month, Federer said: "There are many up-and-coming youngsters in the game and it was about time they won something.

"They proved it at the Australian Open with two very young players in the final (Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga), but I hope I can keep my ground for some time to come."

"Three to go (Grand Slams) and to win the French Open which is next would be great."

The World Sportswoman of the Year award went to Belgium's Justine Henin who won two Grand Slam tournaments in 2007 at the French and US Opens and finished the year by lifting the WTA Tour Championships in Madrid.

It was the first time she has won the Laureus award succeeding Russian pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva.

The World team award went to South Africa's rugby union team who defeated England 15-6 in the World Cup final final at the Stade de France, Paris in October after going through the tournament unbeaten.

There were awards also for two British favourites in Lewis Hamilton and Paula Radcliffe.

The 22-year-old Hamilton won the World Breakthrough of the Year award for leading the Formula One championship in his rookie season for much of the way, only losing out to Kimi Raikkonen in the closing Brazil Grand Prix.

He won four Grands Prix, the most ever in a debut season.

Radcliffe took the Comeback of the Year award for winning the gruelling New York marathon after taking two years out of the sport to have a baby.

The other main awards went to Dutch wheelchair tennis player Esther Vergeer as World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability and US skateboarder Shaun White as World Action Sportsperson of the Year.

 

[malakas]

Well done Rogi!Well deserved!

 

[ATXtennisaddict]

Will this put him on an SI cover?

 

[federerfanatic]

Even as a Roger fanatic I have to say he did not deserve this one. Dont get me wrong, he had an incredible year, although clearly not his best ever. Swimmer Michael Phelps who had an absolutely phenomenal World Championships should have won instead. It just shows the lack of respect sports like swimming get outside of the Olympics. If Phelps had the same performance in an Olympics he would have won hands down, barring Federer or Tiger Woods having even better years then they did.

Justine's win was well deserved. Congratulations to her.

 

[FedForGOAT]

Even as a Roger fanatic I have to say he did not deserve this one. Dont get me wrong, he had an incredible year, although clearly not his best ever. Swimmer Michael Phelps who had an absolutely phenomenal World Championships should have won instead. It just shows the lack of respect sports like swimming get outside of the Olympics. If Phelps had the same performance in an Olympics he would have won hands down, barring Federer or Tiger Woods having even better years then they did.

Justine's win was well deserved. Congratulations to her.

If you look at it from an outsider's (not a tennis fan) point of view, Federer won three of the four biggest tournaments and was the runner up in the fourth. While it's much harder to completely dominate swimming, Phelps did not win in all four styles (five if IM counts as a style). Arguments can be made either way.

 

[daddy]

^^^ One argument is for sure that after handling 3 of the Laureuses in past 3 years to Fed, Phelps cold have finished with this one easily and not undesevably so.

 

[CanadianChic]

Congrats to them both!!

 

[Leublu tennis]

This was a fun event to watch. Amazing how personable the old pros are. Wish I were there.

 

[Pete.Sampras.]

I like Fed, but I think he didn't deserve this one. To be honest, when I read that he won the Laureus I just thought that this is not right and that others should have gotten it instead...

 

[my_forehand]

Even as a Roger fanatic I have to say he did not deserve this one. Dont get me wrong, he had an incredible year, although clearly not his best ever. Swimmer Michael Phelps who had an absolutely phenomenal World Championships should have won instead. It just shows the lack of respect sports like swimming get outside of the Olympics. If Phelps had the same performance in an Olympics he would have won hands down, barring Federer or Tiger Woods having even better years then they did.

Justine's win was well deserved. Congratulations to her.

I guess they were lazy, and just said, ahhh, who cares, we'll just go with last years.

 

[ninman]

I like Fed, but I think he didn't deserve this one. To be honest, when I read that he won the Laureus I just thought that this is not right and that others should have gotten it instead...

Why not? Because he only won 8 titles? Lets look at his year, he played in 16 events and made 12 finals winning 8, including all 4 GS finals winning 3/4 for the SECOND YEAR RUNNING, he also won the MC as well as 2 MS events. In other words he won 4/5 of the biggest titles in tennis. Sounds like he deserved it to me.

 

[malakas]

Even as a Roger fanatic I have to say he did not deserve this one. Dont get me wrong, he had an incredible year, although clearly not his best ever. Swimmer Michael Phelps who had an absolutely phenomenal World Championships should have won instead. It just shows the lack of respect sports like swimming get outside of the Olympics. If Phelps had the same performance in an Olympics he would have won hands down, barring Federer or Tiger Woods having even better years then they did.

Justine's win was well deserved. Congratulations to her.

Fed's main contester was Kaka and he deserved it much less than Roger.

 

[Pete.Sampras.]

Why not? Because he only won 8 titles? Lets look at his year, he played in 16 events and made 12 finals winning 8, including all 4 GS finals winning 3/4 for the SECOND YEAR RUNNING, he also won the MC as well as 2 MS events. In other words he won 4/5 of the biggest titles in tennis. Sounds like he deserved it to me.

It's because many others deserve it just as much as he does but he had won three already and many of these other guys have none while they should have at least one...

 

[isuk@tennis]

so he didn't deserved it because he won a few already. it's kinda like he has to lose more to be great. this type of logic would blow up computers

 

[SempreSami]

Raikkonen deserved it more imo, he was immense last year.

 

[Pete.Sampras.]

so he didn't deserved it because he won a few already. it's kinda like he has to lose more to be great. this type of logic would blow up computers

Are you kidding? There are hundreds of athletes who do a great job every year and Roger is the only one who deserves it and when he keeps on winning he should always get it while others should always be neglected or what

And I agree with the user above. Raikkonen is one of the guys who deserved it more last year.

 

[isuk@tennis]

raikkonen didn't dominate he was in a tight race with hamilton till the end for the championship. he won by one point!! he almost got beat by a rookie. i admit he did a great job but didn't dominate the field. like how schumacher did in 95, 01, 02, 04

great job doesn't equal dominating the rest of the field in tournaments won
fed dominated again

 

[scineram]

McLaren should get LemonGate Award anyway.

 

[BallzofSkill]

It's because many others deserve it just as much as he does but he had won three already and many of these other guys have none while they should have at least one...

Good point. And since he's won wimbledon and the the aussie open multiple times, I think it would be unfair to the other competitors if he enters them ever again and win.

 

[federerfanatic]

While I dont feel Roger should have won it this year, as I said I feel Phelps was the rightful winner this year, saying Raikkonen deserved it more then Roger is downright laughable. Raikkonen was not even close to dominant in his sport, he won the drivers title by the skin of his teeth, by a bit of a miracle frankly with two wipeouts/collapses by Hamilton when it looked like he had an insurmountable lead. Raikkonen did not once lead the drivers standings until that final day, and he wasnt even a huge amount better (yes better, but not that much) then his own teammate Massa, the same Massa who is not really a top tier driver and was schooled by Schumacher last year much worse then Raikkonen this year, the same Massa who struggled to outperform a washed up Jacques Villeneuve with Sauber a couple years back, and Massa led him in points parts of the year and had his share of higher finishes. Raikkonen did win the drivers title, an impressive feat and his very first, so good for him, he can be proud (and thank his lucky stars since he was lucky as heck how it played out in the very end) but to think he was a real candidate for athlete of the year is a true joke.