Jessica Ennis
Britain’s Jessica Ennis has been named World Sportswoman of the Year at the Laureus Awards in Rio de Janerio.
The 27-year-old battled to Olympic heptathlon gold in London last summer.
Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup team, which featured seven UK golfers, was named World Team of the Year.
London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe picked up the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ennis, who set three personal bests and a British record of 6,995 points in London and is the second British woman to win the award after double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes triumphed in 2005, added: “I don’t think I’ll have that kind of pressure again.
“It was a good experience, everything went well, and I’m sure it will be completely different for Rio.”
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt was crowned World Sportsman of the Year for a third time after he won 100m, 200m and 4x100m gold in London.
Dominican athlete Feliz Sanchez, 35, was awarded the World Comeback of the Year Award following his Olympic 400m hurdles success last summer, eight years after his first in Athens.
The first Laureus awards were held in 2000 with ceremonies previously staged in London, Monaco, Portugal, Barcelona, Abu Dhabi and St Petersburg.
Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which supports 89 community sports projects around the world including 10 in the United Kingdom.
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