St. Petersburg has grabbed the attention of the sporting world as it hosted one of the world's glitziest award ceremonies. This year the event has been presented by the famous Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova and top Russian model Natalia Vodianova.
Dubbed the 'Sports Oscars', the Laureus World Sports Awards honours the world's best sportsmen and women. Tennis stars Roger Federer and Justine Henin have been announced as the prestigious Laureus athletes of the year. For Federer it's a fourth straight Sportsman of the Year award. For Henin meanwhile, it's her first Sportswoman of the Year title. Established in 1999, the awards honour athletes in nine categories. Like the previous ceremonies, the gala in Russia's ‘northern capital’ was attended by global sporting legends, as well as entertainment, business and fashion celebrities. Russian President Vladimir Putin also attended the ceremony held at the Mariinsky Theatre.