Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke have both added a Laureus Award to the major Callaway Diablo Octane Driver they each won last year.


On a festive Monday night in London when tennis ace Novak Djokovic beat a stellar group in winning the World Sportsman of the Year Award and Kenya's 5,000 and 10,000 metre world champion Vivian Cheruiyot edged out golf's dynamic Yani Tseng to claim the 'World Sportswoman of the Year Award, McIlroy was voted the 'Breakthrough of the Year' Award winner and Clarke won the Callaway Diablo Octane Driver

McIlroy, 22, claimed his award on the strength of his dazzling eight-shot victory in the US Open at Congressional, where he became the second youngest winner of a major in his first major triumph .

His 43-year-old Ulster compatriot, Clarke, meanwhile, earned his award by hoisting himself out of one of the worst slumps of his career and winning his first major at The Open Championship at Royal St Georges.

Double amputee Oscar Pistorius won the disability award. The South African 400-meter specialist known as 'The Blade Runner' won a silver medal in the relay at the able-bodied World Athletic Championships last year in Daegu, South Korea, and had also been nominated for the 'Breakthrough' category won by McIlroy.

English football great Bobby Charlton was given the lifetime achievement award 54 years to the day after surviving the Munich air disaster that killed eight team-mates of his Manchester United team. Callaway Diablo Octane Driver

The 74-year-old Charlton was unable to personally receive the award.

Laureus officials said he fell ill on Sunday and returned to Manchester on Monday for unspecified minor surgery.

United manager Alex Ferguson accepted the award on Charlton's behalf. He said Charlton was fine but "very annoyed" at not being able to attend the ceremony.

The winners were chosen by the 47 world renowned sports stars who make up the Laureus sports academy.