Top titles for Bolt, Williams

Jamaica's remarkable track genius Usain Bolt was yesterday named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for the second straight time, after continuing his amazing blitz on sprinting in 2009 when he won three more gold medals at the World Championships.

US tennis star Serena Williams won her second Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award, seven years after her first, following Grand Slam victories in Australia and Wimbledon.

It was Williams's third Laureus Award in total, after also winning the Laureus Comeback Award in 2007.

Formula One was a big winner in Abu Dhabi as Britain's Jenson Button won the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award following his first World Drivers' Championship, and the Brawn GP Formula One Team, for whom Button drove in 2009, was named Laureus World Team of the Year.

Clijsters' return

Belgium's Kim Clijsters won the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award after her remarkable return to tennis in 2009 when she won the US Open Grand Slam title in only her third tournament following a two-year absence.

There was a warm reception at the awards ceremony for courageous South African swimmer Natalie du Toit, who is breaking down the barriers between disabled and able-bodied sport, as she received the Laureus Disability Award.

The 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievements during the period January 1-December 31, 2009, are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar.

The winners are chosen by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time.

Among the members of the Laureus World Sports Academy present yesterday were Giacomo Agostini, Franz Beckenbauer, Boris Becker, Ian Botham, Sergey Bubka, Nadia Comaneci, Emerson Fittipaldi, Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman, Mika Hakkinen, Edwin Moses, Monica Seles, Daley Thompson, Alberto Tomba and Steve Waugh.