Six athletes have been shortlisted for the World Sportsman of the Year Award, including Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, who became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours in October. 

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal and compatriot and Grand Prix motorcycle road racer Marc Márquez have both been nominated, alongside Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi and American golfer Tiger Woods.

Lewis Hamilton of Britain rounds off the shortlist, having won his sixth Formula One World Championship last year.

Gymnast Simone Biles is bidding for her third Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award and has been nominated alongside three fellow Americans, track-and-field star Allyson Felix, FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Ball and Golden Boot winner Megan Rapinoe, and alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin.

Also shortlisted from track-and-field is Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica, while Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka is another athlete in contention.

English Premier League leaders Liverpool FC earned a double nomination, making the Team of the Year Award list along with FIFA Women's World Cup winners America, Rugby World Cup champions South Africa, NBA Championship winners Toronto Raptors, two-time FIBA World Cup winners Spain and Formula One team Mercedes. 

Liverpool were also nominated in the Comeback of the Year Award category, for their fightback in the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League against FC Barcelona.

They are joined by British tennis player Andy Murray, Australian rugby player Christian Lealiifano, basketball player Kawhi Leonard and swimmer Nathan Adrian, both of America, and German racing driver Sophia Flörsch.

British swimming sensation Alice Tai, who won seven gold medals at the Para Swimming World Championships, was nominated in the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability category. 

Alongside Alice are five of the highest achieving Para-athletes, including Cuba's Omara Durand, the world's fastest female Paralympian in 2019, and US skier and cyclist Oksana Masters, born with deformities caused by radiation from Chernobyl.

At 15 years-old, Coco Gauff of the US became one of the youngest nominees, making the shortlist for the World Breakthrough of the Year category.

She is joined by fellow tennis player Bianca Andreescu of Canada, and Colombia's first ever Tour de France winner, 22-year-old Egan Bernal.

Athletes up for the World Action Sportsperson of the Year include American snowboarder Chloe Kim, the current halfpipe Winter Olympic champion. 

The 68 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy will vote on the winner of each category, with the victors set to be announced in Berlin on February 17.