Movie Stars join Sporting Greats

St.Petersburg will be the focus of the sporting world when the ninth Laureus World Sports Awards, attended by global figures from sport, entertainment and fashion, is staged at the Mariinsky Concert Hall on Monday, February 18. Hollywood legend Dennis Hopper, star of famed 60s’ film Easy Rider, Kyle MacLachlan, from US TV shows Twin Peaks and Desperate Housewives, and Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr, star of the film Jerry Maguire, will be among those flying in for the Awards Ceremony. Among a blue chip collection of sports stars present will be tennis aces Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, Russian pole vault legend Yelena Isinbayeva, former world heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko and brilliant Brazilian footballer Marta. The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier annual sports awards honouring the world’s greatest sportsmen and sportswomen, and is broadcast globally to 180 countries. The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury, the members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport. The Awards Ceremony will open with a special orchestral work chosen by legendary Russian maestro Valery Gergiev, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and the Rotterdam Philharmonic and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre. Also performing will be Uliana Lopatkina, principal dancer at the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet. Early names confirmed, including members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, are: Giacomo Agostini Sean Fitzpatrick Franz Klammer Silke Rottenberg Marcus Allen Dawn Fraser Vitali Klitschko Emilio Sanchez-Vicario Natascha Badmann Valery Gergiev Renate Lingor Sarah Storey Mansour Bahrami Cuba Gooding Jr Uliana Lopatkina Mark Spitz Severiano Ballesteros Tanni Grey-Thompson Ronnie Lott Michael Teuber Franz Beckenbauer Bryan Habana Kyle MacLachlan Esther Vergeer Boris Becker Aaron Hadlow Marta Steve Waugh Annabelle Bond Marvin Hagler Percy Montgomery Sergey Bubka Tony Hawk Edwin Moses Nadia Comaneci Dennis Hopper Ilie Nastase Marcel Desailly Mike Horn Alexei Nemov Kapil Dev Miguel Indurain Christine Ohuruogu Daniel Dhers Yelena Isinbayeva Oscar Pistorius Daniel Dias Butch James Morné du Plessis Novak Djokovic Kip Keino Hugo Porta Roger Federer Darren Kenny Steve Rider The spectacular backdrop of St. Petersburg, one of the most historic cities in the world, with its palaces of the tsars, museums, waterways and historic landmarks, promises to ensure one of the most memorable Laureus Awards Ceremonies ever. Over the years St. Petersburg has hosted many important sports events, including the highly successful 1994 Goodwill Games. Valentina Matvienko, the Governor of St. Petersburg said: "We are delighted that St. Petersburg has been chosen to host the 2008 Laureus World Sports Awards. Sport is close to the hearts of millions of Petersburgers and we look forward to staging this major sport event in our city. St.Petersburg is a city that harmoniously combines historic traditions and modern European values. Active construction of sport facilities and creation of well-developed infrastructure, make St. Petersburg the ideal venue for sports events of global significance. I am sure this ceremony will be a night to remember in the city. I am also confident that our partnership with the Laureus World Sports Awards will be enormously successful."