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Federer wins Laureus award again

— Photo: AFP

THAT SURE FEELS GOOD! Roger Federer won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award for the fourth consecutive time.

SAINT PETERSBURG: Roger Federer won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award for 2008 here on Monday.

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.”

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.

The awardees: Sportsman of the Year: Roger Federer (Sui); Sportswoman of the Year: Justine Henin (Bel); Team of the Year: South Africa (rugby union); Comeback of the Year: Paula Radcliffe (GBR); Breakthrough of the Year: Lewis Hamilton (GBR); Action Sportsperson of the Year: Shaun White (USA); Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Esther Vergeer (Ned); Lifetime Achievement: Sergei Bubka (Ukr); Spirit of Sport: Dick Pound (Can); Sport for Good: Brendan and Sean Tuohey (USA). — Agencies

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