[3] The awards are presented by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, a global organisation involved in more than 150 charity projects supporting 500,000 young people.
[5] The recipient is presented with a Laureus statuette, created by Cartier, at an annual awards ceremony held in various locations around the world.
Since then, thirteen further awards have been given to individuals, all men with the exception of Moroccan athlete Nawal El Moutawakel (2010).
Footballers have received more awards than any other sports with five, and only Great Britain has multiple winners with three: Steve Redgrave (2001), Bobby Charlton (2012) and Sebastian Coe (2013).
[10] Arne Næss Jr., the Norwegian mountaineer, died in a climbing accident in South Africa four months before the 2004 ceremony.