Sign of the times. Less than 100 days before the Paris 2024 Games, the first in history to respect gender parity, the Laureus trophy presentation evening, Monday April 22 in Madrid, was marked by a triumph for women's sport. For the first time, in fact, a women's team was awarded the title of team of the year in a team sport. The statuette was won by the Spanish football team, crowned world champions last summer in Australia. The Spanish players scored a double blow, as their captain, Aitana Bonmatí, was crowned female sportswoman of the year. Women's victory also in three other categories on the list: the American Simone Biles was chosen by the Laureus trophy jury among the comeback of the year nominees; Dutch wheelchair tennis player Diede de Groot was named best athlete in a disabled sport discipline; and finally the trophy for sportsman of the year in an extreme sport went to Australian skateboarder Arisa Trew. For the rest, Novak Djokovic was awarded the title of male sportsman of the year for the fifth time; the British Jude Bellingham, midfielder of Real Madrid, received the statuette of revelation of the year; and a Sport for Good trophy was awarded to the Rafa Nadal Foundation.
