Paris 2024 Olympic Speed Climber in the Running for Prestigious Award

The nominees for the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards have been released with a gifted climber among the ranks.

Maria Aldrich | Mar 4, 2025

Aug 7, 2024; Le Bourget, France; Aleksandra Miroslaw (POL) celebrates her gold medal in womenís speed climbing during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-Imagn Images / Jack Gruber-Imagn Images

The annual Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year Award is right around the corner with the announcement scheduled to take place on April 21 in Madrid. This event will mark the 25th anniversary of this prestigious award, and many deserving and notable athletes will be considered as this year's recipient.

In 2024, Australian skateboarder, Arisa Trew received the recognition after the skilled teenager landed a 720 — the first for a female skateboarder, which was more than enough to secure the award. In the running alongside Trew 2024 were two legendary surfers, Caroline Marks and Filipe Toledo.

It was recently announced that Olympic speed climber, Aleksandra Mirosław, has been nominated for the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award after a stunning performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The 31-year-old took home a well-earned gold medal while her teammate, Aleksandra Kalucka, secured the bronze medal in the women's speed event.

Mirosław set a women's world record of 6.06 seconds in the Olympic speed discipline, breaking her own record and shocking the crowd. Shortly after this monumental feat, Mirosław clinched gold at the competition for this stunning performance.

"It is a huge privilege and an honor to be nominated in Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year by Laureus Academy, " said Mirosław, as reported by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). "I am very excited and happy to be nominated with such amazing athletes. I believe that it is a big step forward, not just for me, but also for our sport."

For the 2025 award, Mirosław certainly has some tough competition, though her remarkable achievements may sweing the results in her favor. Along with the prolific climber, other nominees for the action sportsperson category include: Arisa Trew (Australian skateboarder), Yuto Horigome (Japanese skateboarder), Caroline Marks (American surfer), Tom Pidcock (British mountain biker and Chloe Kim (American snowboarder).

Recipients are ultimately decided by a team of 69 members who are affiliated with the Laureus World Sports Academy. The grand announcement for each award category will take place next month on April 21. Related Adventure Article

Published Mar 4, 2025

MARIA ALDRICH

Maria Aldrich graduated from SUNY Potsdam with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Wilderness Education. While earning her degrees, she learned the fundamentals of climbing, wilderness travel, and leadership in the backcountry. These skills built upon Maria's lifelong passion for the outdoors. Following graduation, she began working in the outdoor recreation field, serving individuals with disabilities to help them access outdoor pursuits including hiking, paddling, horseback riding, and snowshoeing. The following year, Maria moved to the Adirondack Mountains in New York State to continue working towards a life of adventure and writing. She has continued rock and ice climbing, hiking in the High Peaks of the Adirondacks, and paddling through various rivers while documenting her experiences through writing. When Maria isn’t adventuring in the mountains, she can be found reading a book, fishing on a shoreline, or spending time with family.