I still remember watching the Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony last year, feeling that familiar mix of anticipation and excitement that only global sporting excellence can evoke. When the winners were finally revealed, it wasn't just about celebrating individual achievements—it was about recognizing how these athletes embody something far greater than personal success. Having worked in sports journalism for over fifteen years, I've come to appreciate how these moments reveal the deeper narratives behind athletic greatness. The recent awards ceremony particularly resonated with me because it highlighted what Filipino athlete Hidilyn Diaz perfectly captured in her reflection: "When that point arrived, I thought about how incredibly lucky or rather blessed we still were because we had a team we could work with or focus ourselves on and enhance whatever talent we had." This sentiment, expressed in the moments after her historic weightlifting gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, speaks volumes about the collective effort behind individual sporting glory.
What struck me most about this year's Laureus Awards was how many winners echoed this philosophy of collective achievement. Novak Djokovic, who claimed his record-breaking 24th Grand Slam title in 2023 while maintaining his world number one ranking for over 400 weeks, consistently acknowledges his team's role in his success. I've followed his career since his early days, and what's remarkable isn't just his technical mastery but his understanding that even individual sports are team efforts. When he received the Sportsman of the Year award, his speech emphasized how his coaches, physiotherapists, and family created the ecosystem that enabled his excellence. Similarly, the Spanish Women's National Football Team, honored as World Team of the Year after their 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup victory, demonstrated how individual talent flourishes within supportive structures. Having covered women's football since 2010, I've watched their program develop from promising to dominant, and their success stems from exactly the team-focused mentality Diaz described.
The statistics behind these achievements are staggering—Djokovic spent 389 weeks as world number one before the awards, while the Spanish women's team maintained an impressive 85% win rate throughout their World Cup campaign. But numbers only tell part of the story. What makes the Laureus Awards special is how they celebrate both the visible achievements and the invisible support systems. I've always believed that the most compelling sports stories aren't about solitary genius but about the networks that enable excellence. When Aitana Bonmatí accepted her Sportswoman of the Year award, she specifically highlighted how her teammates' movement created space for her creative playmaking. This aligns perfectly with my own observations from covering elite athletes—the best understand that their talents are enhanced rather than diminished by acknowledging their dependence on others.
Looking at the broader winners' circle, this theme of collective excellence extends beyond traditional sports. Diede de Groot, named World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability, has dominated wheelchair tennis with 20 consecutive Grand Slam singles titles—an incredible streak that began in 2021. Yet in every interview I've read with her, she emphasizes how her success depends on her coaching team's ability to adapt strategies and equipment to maximize her unique abilities. Similarly, the Refugee Team honored at the awards demonstrated how athletic communities can provide stability and purpose in the most challenging circumstances. Having visited refugee athletic programs in three different countries, I've seen firsthand how sports teams become families for displaced athletes, creating the psychological safety necessary for excellence to emerge.
The breakthrough award to American gymnast Simone Biles—marking her incredible comeback after dealing with the "twisties" that affected her during the Tokyo Olympics—particularly moved me. Her journey back to competition required not just personal determination but a supportive team that included coaches, sports psychologists, and fellow athletes who created an environment where she could rebuild her confidence. This resonates with Diaz's reflection about having a team to focus on enhancing existing talents. As someone who's written extensively about athlete mental health, I believe Biles' comeback represents a watershed moment in how we understand athletic excellence—it's not just about pushing through pain but about creating environments where athletes can thrive holistically.
What continues to impress me about the Laureus Awards is how they've evolved beyond simply honoring the most statistically dominant performers to recognizing those who embody sports' transformative potential. The Sport for Good Award, given to programs that use sports for social change, acknowledges that the most meaningful athletic achievements often happen off the field. I've personally volunteered with several Sport for Good initiatives, and the dedication I've witnessed from coaches working in underserved communities reflects the same team-first mentality that elite athletes describe. These programs create the conditions where raw talent can be identified, nurtured, and enhanced—exactly the process Diaz described when reflecting on her Olympic victory.
As I reflect on this year's Laureus winners, I'm struck by how their stories collectively challenge the myth of the solitary champion. The data supports this—teams with strong support structures consistently outperform those relying solely on individual brilliance. In football, analysis shows that teams with the highest "collective efficacy" scores win approximately 15% more matches than those with superior individual talent but weaker cohesion. This statistical reality mirrors what athletes have been telling us all along—that excellence emerges from ecosystems rather than individuals. The Laureus Awards matter precisely because they celebrate these complete pictures of success, reminding us that behind every extraordinary athlete stands an extraordinary team making that excellence possible. In an era of increasing athletic specialization, this understanding becomes ever more crucial—the future of sports excellence depends on our ability to create the collaborative environments where talent can be systematically identified, developed, and enhanced.