Laureus World Sports Awards: Raducanu named ‘Breakthrough of the Year’

Emma Raducanu was named Breakthrough of the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards in 2022.

Along with skateboarder Sky Brown and BMX rider Bethany Shriever, the 19-year-old, who won the US Open by surprise last year, is one of three Britons to win prizes.

Brown won the Comeback of the Year title after suffering a devastating injury in 2020 before winning bronze at the Tokyo Olympics at the age of 13.

Shriever, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in BMX, was named the Action Sportsperson of the Year.

When Raducanu beat Leylah Fernandez in New York in September, she became the first tennis player to win a Grand Slam title as a qualifier.

Brown fractured her head and damaged bones in her arm during a training fall, but she nevertheless finished third in the park skateboarding final, making her the youngest British Olympic medalist of all time.

“This is insane,” she exclaimed after beating out fellow Britons Tom Daley and Mark Cavendish for the prize.

“I experienced a lot of ups and downs, like falling, having a severe accident, and then getting back up. I’m convinced that falling merely pushed me [to succeed]. I’m extremely grateful for everything.”

The Sportsman of the Year title went to Formula One world champion Max Verstappen, while the Women’s prize went to Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah, who won gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay in Tokyo.

After winning the European Championship in football, Italy was named Team of the Year, with NFL superstar Tom Brady receiving the Lifetime Award, Bayern Munich and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski receiving the Exceptional Achievement Award, and MotoGP racer Valentino Rossi receiving the Sporting Icon Award.