South African rugby player Schalk Burger was awarded the comeback of the year prize after fighting off bacterial meningitis to return to the Springboks squad. Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo was named breakthrough athlete of the year for capturing three Grand Prix races in his first year driving for Red Bull.

Wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden, who captured the Boston, Chicago, London and New York marathons last year, won the disability award.

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, a huge celebrity in China because of the popularity of his television series "Sherlock," provided a few moments of levity as host of the awards, at one point playing table tennis against Deng Yaping, China's most decorated player, who was armed with a wooden spoon.

The winners were chosen by the 50 sports stars in the Laureus sports academy, whose members include tennis players Boris Becker and Martina Navratilova, gymnast Nadia Comaneci, golfer Jack Nicklaus, soccer player Bobby Charlton and runner Sebastian Coe.