LONDON -- The year 2000 has been good to many of the world's top athletes. For a select few, it just got even better. The World Sports Awards 2000 announced the names of 75 finalists at a press conference in London on Wednesday. Athletes such as track star Marion Jones, golfing sensation Tiger Woods and F-1 champion Michael Schumacher made the final cut.

The WSA, a nonprofit organization based in Austria, burst onto the sporting scene last year when it honored nine Athletes of the Century. Some of the winners then included Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali and Pele. The response to the awards ceremony in Vienna last November was so positive that event organizers decided to honor athletes on a yearly basis.

This time around, the WSA will honor 15 athletes in 15 different categories. The winners will be announced during a gala Jan. 16 at London's Royal Albert Hall. Separate awards will be presented for men and women in the following categories: ball sports, water sports, winter sports, extreme and adventure sports, individual sports (cycling, weightlifting, etc.), and track and field. A single award will be presented for soccer, combat sports and motor sports.

Five finalists in each of the 15 categories were announced Wednesday for a total of 75 athletes. The names of the finalists were determined by voting among journalists representing 71 media organizations from 30 countries. The Japan Times joined such well-known newspapers as The Observer and Financial Times of England, L'Equipe of France, Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport, and USA Today in nominating the finalists.

In the hotly contested soccer category, the finalists are David Beckham of Manchester United, Luis Figo of Real Madrid, Arsenal's Thierry Henry, Juventus' Zinedine Zidane and Barcelona's Rivaldo. The finalists joining Woods in the men's ball sports category are Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers, and tennis players Marat Safin and Pete Sampras.

Swimmer Ian Thorpe and rower Steven Redgrave highlight the men's water sports category, as do Jones and Cathy Freeman in women's track and field, and cyclist Lance Armstrong in the men's individual sports category.

No Japanese were among the finalists, though four were listed on the WSA ballot presented to journalists. They included judoka Ryoko Tamura and Kosei Inoue, and sumo wrestler Musashimaru in the combat sports category. Inline skater Eito Yasutoko was listed in the men's extreme and adventure sports category.

The tough task of voting for the finalists now falls into the hands of the 150-member WSA World Jury, which is composed mostly of sporting legends and chaired by International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch. Some of the members of the jury, which will vote by the end of the year, include Wayne Gretzky, Sir Bobby Charlton, Nadia Comaneci, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Ali.

Starting Oct. 26, voting via the Internet will also be available to the public, which will essentially act as the 151st member of the jury. An extra vote in each category will be awarded to the athlete who receives the most support from the public. Those wishing to view the complete list of finalists or cast a vote should visit the WSA's official Web site at www.world-sports-awards.tv.