Simone Biles, Mondo Duplantis are gaining large at the 25th Laureus World Sports Awards

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The Paris Olympians and Paralympians were the big winners of the 25th anniversary Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid, including superstars Simone Biles And Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis.

The Laureus Awards, co-organized this year by CNN Sports’ Amanda DaviesHonor the greatest athletes of sports and those who use sport for good. And this edition of the prices was larger than ever when Laureus celebrated 25 years of sports farms.

Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, received its fourth sports prize of the year after adding three gold medals and a silver medal to its curriculum vitae during its third Olympic games last summer. American tennis legend Serena Williams As only athletes to receive the sportswoman prize for the year four times.

“I won this award for the first time in 2017 and Laureus has been part of my story since then, and I share their conviction that sport has the power to change the world,” said Biles about his record evening.

“It may be a little girl who watches someone like me on television and decide that she can do so too. Or it could be the incredible work that Laureus Sport has for good undertakes in the past 25 years, all over the world.”

Swedish Vaulter Duplantis has only become the second Athlete of athletics, after the quadruple winner Usain Bolt, to receive the Sportsman of the Year Award. The 25 -year -old broke his own world record to secure his second Olympic gold medal and became the first male pole vaulter to win consecutive gold since Bob Richards in 1956.

“The Laureus Awards are the ultimate prices that we, the athletes, want to win. I know because it is the fourth time that I have been nominated – and it proves that it is more difficult to win a Laureus than an Olympic gold medal! ” Duplantis joked.

“I am in the footsteps of giants like Novak (Djokovic), Usain, Rafael Nadal and Lionel Messi. The list of former winners of this prize is like a story of sporting size in the past 25 years. ”

The other highlights of the event in Madrid were the friend and rival of Biles, Rebeca Andrade, winning the return award of the year. The Brazilian planned to leave sport after suffering her third LCA tear in four years. However, she returned and participated in her third Olympic games in Paris – winning a gold, two argents and a bronze – to become the most decorated Brazilian Olympian of all time. His moment of gold medal led to one of the most emblematic photos Olympic games, with Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles bowing Andrade on the podium.

“Individual sports can be isolated, but Paris has shown that camaraderie can exist between competitors, and I was so proud to compete alongside the winner of this prize last year, Simone Biles,” said Andrade after victory.

“Simone and I are the only two gymnasts to win a Laureus prize and I hope that our stories will be able to inspire anyone who has suffered injuries and reverse to continue to fight through the many obstacles placed in front of them on the long way to recovery.”

Later, although Real Madrid withdrew the winners from the team’s price, it was the teenage phenomenon of Barcelona, ​​the Lamine Yamal, which received the Breakthrough of the Year Prize.

At only 16 years old, Spanish has become the the youngest Player and scorer in the history of the European Championship. He then rang in his birthday by becoming the youngest to play in a final in euros during the day after being 17 years old.

The Laureus Awards are not only aiming to honor the greatest athletes, but to those who use sport to make positive changes in society. This year’s sport for good award has been Kick4lifeAn organization started in 2005 focused on the use of football to reach young people at risk in Lesotho.

Overall, it was a massive evening to celebrate sport with the greatest athletes in the world and the sports gamechangers present in Madrid.