Standing Ovations for Laureus World Sports Award Winner Michael Milton
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Australian Alpine Skier Michael Milton was named Laureus World
Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability at the 2003 Laureus
World Sports Awards held on 20 May in Monaco. At the Salt Lake
2002 Paralympic Winter Games, Milton made history by winning
four gold medals and becoming the first competitor in his amputee
class to make a clean sweep of all eligible events (Downhill,
Super-G, Giant Slalom and Slalom).
“I retired in 1996 after the World Championships, but came back in 2000. I think it’s been well worth it. I came back very, very motivated, definitely a different skier. I think my results have proven that. Winning this award means that a group of absolute sporting legends have thought that I’m the best athlete with a disability of the year. That’s a wonderful feeling,” said Milton in an emotional speech at the Awards Ceremony. Milton won his first gold medal at the Albertville 1992 Paralympic Games, securing Australia's first gold medal ever in Paralympic and Olympic winter history. In the Lillehammer 1994 Paralympics, he won gold in Giant Slalom, silver in Slalom and bronze in both Super-G and Downhill. He retired after the 1996 World Championships in Lech, where he won gold in the Giant Slalom, silver in the Slalom and bronze in the Super-G. However, in 2000 he returned to competition, winning three golds and a silver at the World Championships. Also present at the Awards Ceremony was Phil Craven, President of the IPC. “Milton winning this award is a true honour and recognition of his great performance at the Salt Lake 2002 Paralympics,” said Mr. Craven. |
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Michael Milton gave an emotional speech after receiving the Laureus Statuette
Photo: David Cannon © Laureus via Getty Images Having received the Laureus Statuette and a standing ovation from the audience, Milton stated: “Sport is about emotion” and went on to say that he also accepted the award on behalf of the other nominees in his category: Nordic Skier Tanja Kari (Finland), Wheelchair Racer Chantal Petitclerc (Canada), Wheelchair Basketball Player Paul Schulte (USA) and Cyclist Michael Teuber (Germany). The awards, styled as the Oscars of the sporting world, celebrate sporting excellence across all disciplines and continents. The televised awards ceremony was shown in more than 150 countries and featured many well-known personalities from the fields of sport and entertainment, including Kylie Minogue, Boris Becker and HSH Prince Albert of Monaco. |
