Usain Bolt beats Messi to bag the top honours at Laureus Sports Award

The annual sports awards were awarded today at Sao Paulo, Brazil and Usain Bolt and Jessica Ennis were among those who won the top honours. The winners were chosen from a panel of 50-members of the Laureus sports academy.

Sprinter Usain Bolt of Jamaica poses with the award for Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.

After an outstanding performance in the London Olympics, where he also set the world record in the 4×100-meter relay with Jamaica, Bolt won the Sportsman of the Year award. The Jamaican runner won in the 100, 200 and 4×100-meters category. The European Ryder cup team was awarded with the Best Team of the Year award.

The Sportswoman of the Year was awarded to British heptathlete Jessica Ennis. Tennis star Andy Murray was named the Top Breakthrough Athlete and Felix Sanchez the Comeback Athlete award.

Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner who successfully completed his jump from high altitude, was the winner in Action category. He was the first skydiver to travel faster than the speed of sound. Brazilian swimmer Daniel Dias won the Disability award.

With 18 gold, two silver and two bronze medals, American swimmer Michael Phelps won a special Laureus Academy award as the most decorated Olympian of all time. The Lifetime Achievement award was given to former Olympian and London Games organizer Sebastian Coe.

Bolt was overjoyed after winning the top honour and said through his video that he will “definitely” be back in Rio for the 2016 Games. He was contending against Phelps, Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel, double Olympic champion Mo Farah and four-time FIFA world player of the year Lionel Messi, who scored a record 91 goals last year to cement his status as the world’s top footballer.