Para swimming dominates 2026 Laureus nominations with three athletes

For the second consecutive year, Para swimming has dominated the nominations for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award, with three of the six shortlisted athletes coming from the sport: Czechia’s David Kratochvil, Brazil’s Gabriel Araujo and Italy’s Simone Barlaam.

Kratochvil and Araujo are first-time nominees, while Barlaam returns to the list after being shortlisted in 2024.

The Laureus World Sports Academy announced the six candidates on Tuesday, 3 March. The winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain on 20 April.

The other shortlisted athletes are Para athletics world champions Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland) and Kiara Rodriguez (Ecuador), and Para ice hockey player Kelsey DiClaudio (USA).

Last year, China’s Yuyan Jiang won the World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award, while Spain’s Teresa Perales was also among the finalists.

The 2025 award marked the fifth time a Para swimmer claimed the honour, following Brazil’s Daniel Dias (2009, 2013, 2016) and South Africa’s Natalie du Toit (2010).

This year’s nominations highlight the standout performances of Kratochvil, Araujo and Barlaam at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.

✨ The exceptional athletes nominated for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award 2026 are:

✨ Gabriel Araújo
✨ Simone Barlaam
✨ Catherine Debrunner
✨ Kelsey DiClaudio
✨ David Kratochvíl
✨ Kiara Rodríguez#Laureus26 pic.twitter.com/MSHetSfWhz

— Laureus (@LaureusSport) March 3, 2026

The Laureus announcement notes Barlaam’s four gold medals at Singapore 2025, “taking his career total to an incredible 23 world titles.” The Italian S9 swimmer won the men’s 100m butterfly and the 50m, 100m and 400m freestyle. Born with a congenital leg impairment, he underwent 13 operations during childhood before taking up Para swimming at age 15.

After winning three golds at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Araujo repeated the feat at the 2025 World Championships with victories in the men’s 50m and 100m backstroke and the 200m freestyle (S2). The 23-year-old from Santa Luzia also improved his own SM2 world record in the 150m individual medley while competing in the SM3 final, according to the announcement.

As for Kratochvil, the Laureus Awards highlighted his remarkable performance in Singapore, where the 17-year-old medalled in every event he entered. He left the championships with four golds, one silver, two bronzes and a world record in the S11 400m freestyle – breaking a mark that had stood for 33 years. He is also world champion in the 50m and 200m freestyle and the 100m butterfly. After winning 400m freestyle gold at Paris 2024 and the 2023 World Championships, Singapore marked his first multi-gold performance at a major event.

More information about the Laureus Awards is available here.