Oscar Pistorius was given global recognition for his ground-breaking performances last season at the annual Laureus World Sports Awards in London last night.
The Blade Runner, who competes on carbon fibre blades, was named Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.
Pistorius had a phenomenal 2011, setting a personal best 400 metres time of 45.07 seconds in Lignano, Italy.
He also clinched silver as part of the SA 4x400m relay team in Daegu, South Korea, to become the first amputee track athlete to win a medal at the able bodied World Athletics Championships.
World tennis number one Novak Djokovic was named sportsman of the year and football giants Barcelona won the team of the year award.
