During a sports year that did not turn out like anything else, the Swede Armand Duplantis dominated athletics and set several world records.

This gives him fourth place on the list voted for by the traditional French newspaper.

In front of Duplantis on the list are superstars: Lewis Hamilton who took his seventh World Cup title in Formula 1, Rafael Nadal, who once again won the French tennis championships, and LeBron James who led the LA Lakers to the NBA title.

Double world record

The corona pandemic meant that there was no Olympics and athletics had to take a long break from competition.

But both before and after the break, Duplantis showed class.

During the indoor season, he set double world records and then also recorded the world's highest pole vault outdoors during the summer.

On the women's side, the award goes to the Norwegian biathlete Marte Olsbu Røiseland.

She becomes the first Norwegian and first biathlete to receive the award from L'Equipe.

"Unreal"

Røiseland heard about the award through the Frenchman Siegfried Mazet, who is the shooting coach for the Norwegian men.

- It was a good way to find out, because I would never have believed it if they had called myself.

- It's unreal.

It's big for Norway and it's big for biathlon.

That is the best prize I have received, says Røiseland.

The Norwegian receives the prize because she won a medal, five gold and two bronze, in all races in the World Cup last winter.

In second place is L'Equipe tennis player Naomi Osaka, Japan, with Italian downhill skier Federica Brignone as third.