Sports Personality 2024 Award Winners Announced

Keely Hodgkinson was named Sports Personality of the Year, becoming the first female athlete to receive this honor since 2004. Hodgkinson, 22, an athletics competitor, secured her first global title at Paris 2024 by claiming the 800m gold medal. This followed her consecutive world silver medals and a runner-up finish in her Olympic debut in Tokyo three years prior. Additionally, Hodgkinson successfully defended her European 800m title in Rome and set a new British record of one minute 54.61 seconds at the London Diamond League, making her the sixth-fastest woman ever in the event. The BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year award was presented to Wigan Warriors. The rugby league team, under Matt Peet, demonstrated dominance in men’s rugby league throughout the year, securing every major trophy accessible to them. Their achievements included completing the quadruple by winning the World Club Challenge, Challenge Cup, League Leaders’ Shield, and Grand Final. Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows were recognized with the Coach of the Year award. Their Manchester-based M11 Track Club was instrumental in Team GB earning three Olympic medals at Paris 2024. These included Keely Hodgkinson’s gold in the women’s 800m, Georgia Bell’s 1500m bronze, and Lewis Davey’s bronze as a member of the men’s 4x400m relay team. Armand Duplantis received the World Sport Star award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year event. The 25-year-old pole vaulter successfully defended his Olympic title in Paris, becoming the first consecutive champion in men’s pole vault since the 1950s. During this achievement, he surpassed both the Olympic and world records; the latter marked the ninth time in his career and the second time this year. Duplantis further improved the world record in August, achieving a new best of 6.26m at the Diamond League meeting in Silesia, and also secured a second world indoor title and a third European gold in 2024. Sir Mark Cavendish was honored with the Lifetime Achievement award. The 39-year-old cyclist, who retired earlier this year, holds the record for winning 35 Tour de France stages, with his final stage victory occurring in Saint Vulbas in July. Cavendish, a native of the Isle of Man, accumulated 165 professional race wins and concluded his distinguished career with a victory at the Tour de France Criterium in Singapore in November. Dr Mark Prince was announced as the recipient of the Helen Rollason Award. Prince, a former champion boxer, was recognized for his contributions with the Kiyan Prince Foundation. This organization utilizes boxing to deter young individuals from knife crime. The foundation bears the name of Prince’s son, Kiyan, an academy footballer who was fatally stabbed outside his school’s gates in 2006. Jean Paton received the Unsung Hero award, having been nominated by members of her sailing club. Jean, 90, has dedicated nearly four decades of her time to the Salterns Sailing Club in Lymington, Hampshire. As a Royal Yachting Association dinghy instructor, she has assisted over 800 children in learning to sail during her tenure at Salterns. Luke Littler was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year. Littler, 17, has experienced a significant breakthrough year, notably finishing as runner-up at the 2024 PDC World Darts Championship in January. The English player, who has secured 10 senior titles on the PDC Tour this year, is the first darts player to be awarded this honor.