The 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards celebrated the sporting world's elite in Madrid, and shining brightest among them were Simone Biles and Mondo Duplantis, who both picked up top honors.
Simone Biles, with her illustrious gymnastics career, captured her fourth Female Athlete of the Year trophy, drawing level with the legendary Serena Williams. This accolade comes eight months after Biles’ spectacular performance at the Paris Olympics, where she added three golds and a silver to her glittering collection.
Biles, visibly moved during the ceremony, said, “I’ve been dreaming of moments like this since I was a foster kid.” She thanked her adoptive parents for their unwavering support, allowing her to transform her dreams into reality.
This year’s race for Female Athlete of the Year was fiercely contested, with Biles triumphing over an illustrious list of nominees: soccer star Aitana Bonmati, track icons Sifan Hassan and Faith Kipyegon, explosive hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and tennis ace Aryna Sabalenka.
On the men's side, Sweden's Mondo Duplantis soared to Male Athlete of the Year, continuing his magical run in the pole vault. Duplantis, who has raised the bar by a centimeter thrice recently, including a record jump at the Paris Games, expressed his aspirations to tennis great Novak Djokovic, who presented the award.
“There are a few more records I’d like to set,” Duplantis remarked, eyes fixed on the future, eyeing the 2028 Los Angeles Games as another potential highlight in his trajectory.
Duplantis’ win marks a return for track and field in the awards, the first since Usain Bolt's dominance ended in 2017. He beat a competitive field that included tennis prodigy Carlos Alcaraz, swimming phenom Leon Marchand, cycling champion Tadej Pogacar, and F1 sensation Max Verstappen.
Wrapping up the night, Real Madrid took the Team of the Year honor, while Lamine Yamal, Rebeca Andrade, Jiang Yuyan, Tom Pidcock, Kelly Slater, Rafael Nadal, and Lesotho’s Kick4Life took home the remaining accolades across various categories.
