Sport World’s Oscars will be held in Mariinsky Theater

The ninth Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony 2008 will pass in the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg on Feb.18. The names of the world’s best sportsman and woman are to be announced there.

The ceremony is to be translated in more than 180 countries and will be attended by world’s best sportsmen and women nominated for the awards, as well as the 43 famous athletes who will judge the ceremony. Olympic legend Edwin Moses already committed to attending the event in Russia. The jury will be joined by such sport legends as German tennis player Boris Becker, Russian pole-vaulter Sergei Bubka, Romania-born gymnast Nadia Comaneci and many others. Ukrainian boxer Vitaly Klichko and Russian gymnast Alexei Nemov will also attend the event.

Among the nominees for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year are Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, U.S. athlete Tyson Gay, Brazilian soccer player Kaka, Australian swimmer Michael Phelps, Finnish Formula 1 driver Kimi Raikkonen, and U.S. golfer Tiger Woods.

The candidates for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year are Belgian tennis player Justine Henin, Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, Swedish heptathlete Carolina Kluft, Australian swimmer Libby Lenton, Brazilian soccer player Marta, and Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa.

The Laureus World Team of the Year nominees include Italian soccer club AC Milan, the Australian national cricket team, the Italian car racing team Ferrari, the German national female soccer team, the Iraqi national soccer team, and the South African national rugby team.

Awards are also given out in the following categories: Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year, Laureus World Sportsman of the Year with a Disability, and Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year.