Arisa Trew, a 14-year-old skateboarding sensation with her eyes set on the Olympics, has become the only Australian to be honored at the biggest awards show in world sport.
While Novak Djokovic and Aitana Bonmati were honored as world athlete and sportsperson of the year at the Laureus Awards, the Gold Coast youngster was delighted to be named action athlete of the year at a lavish ceremony in Madrid.
Trew was honored for her pioneering feat at the age of 13 last year when she became the first skater to perform a 720, a trick that involves two full rotations in the air, in competition.
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She performed the iconic move, first successfully performed by skate great Tony Hawk in 1985, at the flagship X Games event in California in July last year, and he was there to applaud Trew as she made history.
The young Queenslander subsequently became the first woman in X Games history to win both the park and vert “double” and is now firmly on track to don the green and gold at the Olympics.
“It’s a big accomplishment for me because I didn’t even think I’d be here,” Trew said, after making a splash Monday by arriving at the ceremony with his skateboard on the red carpet.
Trew beat fellow skater Rayssa Leal, surfers Caroline Marks and Filipe Toledo, as well as South African sailor Kirsten Neuschafer and British BMX rider Bethany Shriever.
Other stars of the show were Bonmati, world champion from Spain, recognized as the best female soccer player during a triumphant campaign in Australia.
He also collected the team of the year award on behalf of his teammates.
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady presented Djokovic with his fifth Laureus Award for the world’s No. 1 player’s historic 2023 tennis season, in which he equaled Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles with victories. in the Australian, French and United States Opens. in addition to reaching the Wimbledon final.
Gymnast Simone Biles won comeback of the year after her four gold medals at last year’s world championships, her first international event since competing at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
English midfielder Jude Bellingham won the World Cup of the Year award after his stellar season at Real Madrid, the first footballer to receive the award.
The Laureus Awards nominees were selected by the media, and the winners were determined by the 69 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy since the first awards were presented in 2000.
Trew joins Australian surfers Layne Beachley (2004) and Stephanie Gilmore (2010) to win her category.
Louis Sauvage (2000 Disabled Athlete), Australian Men’s Cricket Team (2001 Team of the Year) and Daniel Ricciardo (2015 Outstanding Athlete) are among Australia’s other winners at the awards night.
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AAP
