Swimming sensation Ye among hopefuls for Laureus awards

China's talented swimmer Ye Shiwen and a group of brilliant young teenagers from the London Olympic Games are among the leading contenders for nomination for the 2013 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award.

Laureus said that 16-year-old Ye was one of the sensations of the London Games, winning both 200m and 400m individual medley gold medals.

Ye, along with gymnast Gabby Douglas, 400m runner Kirani James and swimmers Katie Ledecky, Ruta Meilutyte, all won gold medals in London and "showed potential for amazing futures", commented by Laureus.

Also in the mix for nomination could be Britain's Andy Murray, who won the Olympic singles tennis gold medal and mixed doubles silver and also his first ever Grand Slam at the US Open.

Besides the Olympic Games, golf provided some outstanding individual performances.

China's Feng Shanshan won the LPGA Championship in June, at the age of 22, making her the first Chinese mainland player to win a major championship.

The 2013 Laureus World Sports Awards recognize sporting achievement during 2012.

The names of the six nominees for the World Breakthrough of the Year Award, as voted by the Laureus Media Selection Panel, comprising leading sports editors, sports writers, broadcasters and online journalists from around the world, will be announced in Rio de Janeiro on December 13.

The eventual winner will then be chosen from this shortlist by the 46 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honoring the greatest athletes of today.

The yearly Laureus World Sports Awards, inaugurated in 2000, is recognized as the premier honors in the international sporting calendar.

Besides the breakthrough award, the other awards included are the world sportsmen, sportswomen, team, comeback, sportsperson with a disability and action sportsperson of the year.

The Laureus.com said the 2013 and 2014 awards ceremonies, which will be attended by the greatest names in sport, past and present, and broadcast to a worldwide TV audience, will be staged at the Theatro Municipal, a spectacular venue in the heart of Rio de Janeiro.