PARIS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Mexican golfing great Lorena Ochoa, American swimming legend Missy Franklin and Argentine hockey star Luciana Aymar have been announced as the 66th, 67th and 68th members of the Laureus World Sports Academy ahead of Monday's 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards.
The three legendary sportswomen will be presented at the Laureus World Sports Awards for the first time at Sunday's Laureus Sport for Good awards ceremony in Monaco.
Ochoa played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour from 2003 to 2010 and was the top-ranked female golfer in the world for 158 consecutive and total weeks, both LPGA Tour records, from April 2007 to her retirement in May 2010.
Franklin, a five-time Olympic gold medalist, won six gold medals at the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, becoming the first female swimmer in history to win six golds at a single world championships.
Aymar is widely regarded as the greatest hockey player of all time, and is the only player who received the FIH Player of the Year Award eight times.
The Laureus World Sports Academy is a unique association of the greatest living sporting legends, now under the chairmanship of rugby legend Sean Fitzpatrick from New Zealand.
The Academy Members, including China's Yao Ming, Li Na, Li Xiaopeng, Yang Yang and De Yaping, act as the ultimate sports jury, voting each year to decide the winners of the Laureus World sports Awards.
"As we look forward to our 20th anniversary next year, we are delighted to welcome three hugely inspirational and successful sportswomen in Lorena, Missy and Luciana into the Laureus Academy," said Sean Fitzpatrick.
"Speaking to each of our new Academy members, it's clear they are passionate about their new roles, and dedicated to supporting the work of Laureus Sport for Good. At an exciting time in our organization's history, the Laureus World Sports Academy is going from strength to strength," he added.
The 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards honor the greatest and most inspirational sports triumphs of 2018 and showcase the work of Laureus Sport for Good.
In 2018, nearly 300,000 young people all over the world directly benefited from more than 160 Laureus Sport for Good supported programs in 40 countries and regions.
