At times in 2012 Valerie Adams was at the depths of despair but her year is finishing on a high note after she was nominated for the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award
The Olympic shot put gold medallist has been nominated along with hurdler Sally Pearson, heptathlete Jessica Ennis, tennis player Serena Williams, sprinters Allyson Felix and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, swimmer Missy Franklin and Japanese wrestler Saori Yoshid.
A shortlist of six nominees, decided by a panel of sports media representatives, will be announced on December 13 at a function in Rio, with the overall winner to be named at a date to be confirmed.
Adams, who was a nominee for the Laureus last year, is also on the short list for the IAAF Athlete of the Year award.
She retained her Olympic title in London but only after Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus was stripped of the gold medal for failing a drugs test and was undefeated in all competitions.
