Laureus World Sports Awards 2017: Cristiano Ronaldo, Usain Bolt Among Nominees

Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and nine-time Olympic gold-medallist Usain Bolt have both been nominated for the 2017 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award.

British duo Andy Murray and Mo Farah are both also included in the six nominees, along with United States basketball stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry, as announced on Wednesday:

Premier League champions Leicester City are included among those up for the Breakthrough of the Year Award, while American gymnast Simone Biles is one of six in the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award category after winning four gold medals at the Rio Olympics.

If Bolt triumphs after his third successive gold-medal treble in Rio, he will equal Roger Federer's record of four career wins in the Sportsman of the Year category.

Here are the nominations from every category in full:

Nominee	Nationality	Sport
Sportsman
Usain Bolt	Jamaica	Athletics
Stephen Curry	USA	Basketball
Andy Murray	UK	Tennis
Mo Farah	UK	Atheltics
Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	Football
LeBron James	USA	Basketball
Sportswoman
Simone Biles	USA	Gymnastics
Laura Kenny	UK	Cycling
Allyson Felix	USA	Atheltics
Katie Ledecky	USA	Swimming
Angelique Kerber	Germany	Tennis
Elaine Thompson	Jamaica	Athletics
Team
Chicago Cubs	USA	Baseball
Portugal Men's Football Team	Portugal	Football
Cleveland Cavaliers	USA	Basketball
Mercedes Formula One Team	Multiple	Motor Racing
Brazil Men's Olympic Football Team	Brazil	Football
Real Madrid	Spain	Football
Comeback
Ruth Beitia	Spain	Atheltics
Michael Phelps	USA	Swimming
Juan Martín del Potro	Argentina	Tennis
Fabienne St Louis	Mauritius	Triathlon
Nick Skelton	UK	Show Jumping
Aksel Svindal	Norway	Alpine Skiing
Breakthrough
Leicester City Football Club	UK	Football
Fiji Rugby Sevens Team	Fiji	Rugby Sevens
Iceland Men's Football Team	Iceland	Football
Nico Rosberg	Germany	Motor Racing
Wayde van Niekerk	South Africa	Atheltics
Almaz Ayana	Ethiopia	Athletics
Action
John John Florence	USA	Surfing
Tyler Wright	Australia	Surfing
Chloe Kim	USA	Snowboarding
Pedro Barros	Brazil	Skateboarding
Rachel Atherton	UK	Mountain Biking
Kelly Sildaru	Estonia	Freestyle Skiing
Disability
Ihar Boki	Belarus	Swimming
Sophie Pascoe	New Zealand	Swimming
Omara Durand	Cuba	Athletics
Siamand Rahman	Iran	Weightlifting
Marcel Hug	Switzerland	Wheelchair Racing
Beatrice Vio	Italy	Fencing

The men's category is sure to be well contested this year as all six nominees produced some extraordinary performances in 2016. 

Besides Bolt's heroics in Brazil, Ronaldo was a key part of both Real's UEFA Champions League win and Portugal's remarkable triumph at UEFA Euro 2016.

Meanwhile, Farah joined the greats of distance running as he won another two gold medals in Rio de Janeiro, Murray claimed a second Wimbledon title and became world No. 1, and James inspired the Cleveland Cavaliers to a comeback victory in the NBA Finals against Curry's Golden State Warriors.

Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Biles' achievements would be hard to match in any other year, but she is up against 19-year-old compatriot Katie Ledecky, who also won four golds at the Olympics in Rio.

Also in Brazil, Team GB cyclist Laura Kenny matched the two golds she won at London 2012 in the velodrome and Allyson Felix and Elaine Thompson claimed sprint doubles on the track, while German tennis star Angelique Kerber won two Grand Slam titles in 2016 and unseated Serena Williams as world No. 1.

In the team category the Chicago Cubs are nominated after they broke a 108-year duck to win Major League Baseball's World Series, coming back from 3-1 down to beat the Cleveland Indians 4-1.

The Iceland men's football team, one of the surprises of Euro 2016, also picked up a nomination in the Breakthrough category, alongside Fiji's Rugby Sevens Team—who won gold for their nation's first ever Olympic medal—and first-time Formula One world champion Nico Rosberg.