Six Paralympians nominated for 2025 Laureus Sport Awards

Six of the world’s best Para athletes have been nominated for the 2025 Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award. The athletes are Swiss wheelchair racer Catherine Debrunner, Para swimmers Teresa Perales of Spain and Yuyan Jiang of China, Japanese wheelchair tennis player Tokito Oda, USA Para archer Matt Stutzman, and Chinese Para badminton player Qu Zimo.

The Laureus World Sports Academy announced the nominees for the prestigious award on Monday, 3 March. The Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award recognises the incredible achievements by Para athletes in 2024, including at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The winner is set to be announced on 21 April during a special ceremony, which also marks the 25th anniversary of the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards.

The nominees:

Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland) Para athletics

Catherine Debrunner had another incredible year, winning five golds and a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. She topped the podium in the 400m T53, 800m T53, 1500m T54, 500m T54 and marathon T54 events, while securing a silver medal in the 100m T53. In the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series 2024, Debrunner also won the London and Berlin marathons. She won the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award in 2023.

Teresa Perales (Spain) Para swimming

Teresa Perales made her seventh Paralympic Games appearance at Paris 2024. She won bronze in the women’s 50m backstroke S2 for her 28th Paralympic medal. Perales, who made her Games debut at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, has won more medals than any other Spanish athlete.

Yuyan Jiang (China) Para swimming 

Yuyan Jiang was unstoppable at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, winning gold in the women’s 50m freestyle S6, 100m freestyle S7, 400m freestyle S6, 100m backstroke S6, 50m butterfly S6, as well as the mixed 4x50m freestyle relay 20 points and the mixed 4x50m medley relay 20 points.  With seven gold medals, she finished as the most successful athlete of the Games. Known as the ‘Flying Fish’, she set two individual world records and was China’s flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony on 8 September.

Tokito Oda (Japan) Wheelchair tennis

Tokito Oda came from match point down to beat world No. 1 Alfie Hewett in the men’s wheelchair tennis singles tournament at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The 18-year-old Oda became the youngest athlete to win the men’s singles title at the Paralympic Games. He also captured the silver medal in the men’s doubles tournament on his Paralympic debut in Paris. He also won two Grand Slam singles titles in 2024.

Matt Stutzman (USA) Para archery

Matt Stutzman made history at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, becoming the first armless archer to win a gold medal. Competing at his fourth Games, Stutzman won gold in the men’s individual compound event. Stutzman beat China’s Ai Xinliang in the final with an exceptional score of 149, one point short of perfection, for a new Paralympic record. 

Qu Zimo (China) Para badminton

Qu Zimo had an impressive 2024, winning three gold medals at the NSDF Royal Beach Cliff BWF Para Badminton World Championships. At the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, he repeated his gold medal performance from Tokyo 2020, topping the podium in the men’s singles WH1 and the men’s doubles WH1-WH2.