Doohan elected to World Sports Academy
The five-time world champion joins Italian superstar Giacomo Agostini in the elite group, while Valentino Rossi picked himself up an award, tooAustralia’s multiple world 500 GP champion Mick Doohan has been elected into the Laureus World Sports Academy, joining another road racing legend in the coterie of sporting giants -- Giacomo Agostini.
The Laureus World Sports Academy comprises 46 of the greatest living sporting legends from sports as diverse as football, tennis, athletics, skateboarding and motor racing.
Other Australians in the academy are Cathy Freeman, Dawn Fraser and Steve Waugh.
At this year’s gala ceremony in Abu Dhabi on February 7, the motorcycle flavour contiued with nine-time world GP champion Valentino Rossi collecting the ‘Comeback of the Year’ Award, which saw him return to action last year just 41 days after sustaining a compound fracture to his right tibia.
The Italian suffered the injury in a practice session at Mugello on June 5, and was back on track for the opening practice session of the German Grand Prix on July 16 – and even before that in a private practice session at Misano on July 7.
Rossi held off competition from US golfer Paula Creamer, American sprinter Tyson Gay, (now retired) Belgian tennis star Justine Henin, and athletes Carolina Kluft and Merlene Ottey to take the prize.
Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal was named Sportsman of the Year, and American skier Lindsey Vonn the Sportswoman of the Year.
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