Valentino Rossi nominated for ‘Comeback of the Year’ at the Laureus Awards 2018

Valentino Rossi is set to be the only representative from the world of motorcycling at the Laureus World Sport Awards 2018 – with his nomination for ‘Comeback of the Year’, which he also won back in 2011.

For the uninitiated, the Laureus World Sport Awards are widely considered as the Oscars of the sporting world – and much like the BBC Sports Personality Awards, motorcycle racers seem to barely get a look in. Out of eight categories and 47 nominations, only Rossi is in with a shot of a prize.

Rossi’s nomination also comes as a bit of a surprise – with the Italian ending his 2017 season in a worse position than 2016 – with fewer victories, fewer podiums, fewer points and a worse final position. But Rossi is up for the ‘Comeback of the Year’ – and after his unbelievable recovery from a fractured tibia and fibula, being back on the bike after a matter of weeks, and missing only one round of racing, ‘the Doctor’ surely stands a good chance of walking away with the prize.

Rossi is up against two football teams, Barcelona and Chapecoense, two athletes, Justin Gatlin and Sally Pearson, in addition to strong favourite, tennis player Roger Federer; who is also nominated for best male athlete of the year. If he won, the Swiss would win his fifth prize, which would tie him with Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt in at the top of the pile. Rossi himself has been nominated five times in the men’s main category, but never managed to win the award. In fact, apart from Rossi, only one other motorcycle racer has been nominated in the main category – Marc Márquez in 2015 – though sadly he was beaten by tennis player Novak Djokovic.

For more information of the Laureus World Sport Awards, click HERE.