Woods named Sportsman of the Year again

Tiger Woods extended his domination of major titles by winning the Sportsman of the Year award at the Sporting Oscars on Tuesday while Australian Cathy Freeman claimed the women's prize after providing the defining moment of the Sydney Olympics athletics competition.

American Woods, who also won the award at last year's inaugural prize-giving, captured three of the four golfing majors in 2000 and completed the full set by taking the Masters earlier this year.

"I've had a nice little run this year and I hope that can continue," said Woods via a video link-up after being presented with the award by Mark O'Meara in the U.S.

He faced strong competition from swimmers Ian Thorpe of Australia and Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband, British rower Steven Redgrave and Germany's Michael Schumacher, who last year won Ferrari's first formula one crown since 1979.

Redgrave, who claimed his fifth consecutive Olympic gold as a member of Britain's coxless fours, gained compensation when he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award at a glitzy ceremony attended by the cream of sport past and present and Hollywood names such as Michael Douglas.

Freeman, who lit the Olympic flame to launch the Games, won the 400 metres gold medal before collapsing to the track at the finishing line as the huge weight of her compatriots' expectations hit home. She has since announced she is taking a year off to recover from her Olympic experience.

JONES DETHRONED

The Aboriginal runner was chosen ahead of American Venus Williams, who won Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and Olympic gold, and Olympic triple gold medallist Marion Jones, who took the award last year.

World soccer champions France were named team of the year after winning the European championship. France edged out Real Madrid, who won soccer's Champions League in 2000, and the New York Yankees who lifted their fourth World Series in five years.

Tennis provided two award winners in Russia's Marat Safin, named newcomer of the year after winning the U.S. Open men's singles, and American Jennifer Capriati, who took the comeback of the year award for winning the Australian Open women's singles this year. The Laureus World Sports Awards cover the 12 months until the end of February.

"We all know that coming back is very difficult and I hope this is the last of the comebacks that I ever have to make," said Capriati who won the 1992 Olympic gold medal before her career and private life went off the rails. "I didn't want to be labelled a burn-out."

Australian Vinny Lauwers won the award for the sportsperson with a disability after becoming the first man with a disability to sail solo around the world.

Lauwers, a paraplegic, took seven months to complete his voyage and received the longest standing ovation of the evening. "This really is the icing on the cake for me," Lauwers said.

While Woods and Safin were unable to attend the ceremony, Mike Horn was on hand to pick up his award for alternative sportsperson of the year - but only just.

The South African, who last year became the first person to circumnavigate the globe by foot, bicycle and boat, was stuck in Greenland in temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius after failing in an attempt to cross the country on skis while being towed by kites.

The organisers picked him up from his ice camp by helicopter and flew him to this balmy Mediterranean city to pick up his award.

"I had been away a month without water to wash and I must have smelled really bad. Luckily I had the whole business class to myself," Horn said.