Updated at 23.06
OLYMPIC 800M champion Keely Hodgkinson has been voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2024.
The award caps a brilliant 12 months for the 22-year-old in which she claimed gold at the Paris Olympics, successfully defended her European title and set a new British record of one minute 54.61 seconds that made her the sixth fastest woman in history.
Darts prodigy Luke Littler came second in the public vote, while England batter Joe Root took the third-place prize at Tuesday’s ceremony in Salford.
Hodgkinson’s success makes it an unprecedented four years in a row that the award has been won by a woman, following Mary Earps in 2023, Beth Mead in 2022 and Emma Raducanu in 2021.
After being announced as the winner by Sir Chris Hoy, Hodgkinson said on stage: “This year has been absolutely incredible for me.
“I achieved everything I set out to do on the outdoor track, which is kind of rare, so I’m so grateful to be in this position. Thank you to everyone who voted at home — I hope you all loved watching Paris just as much as I loved competing in it.”
Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows won the Coach of the Year award after guiding the athlete to glory, and Hodgkinson said: “I’m actually more excited for my coach to be honest, because I wouldn’t be where I am without him and his guidance that I have had since I was 17.”
The others shortlisted for the award were England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, Paralympic record-breaker Sarah Storey and Olympic triathlon gold medallist Alex Yee.
Littler — who claimed the Young Sports Personality of the Year prize — became the youngest player to reach the final of the World Darts Championship in January at the age of 16.
Finishing as runner-up to Luke Humphries, the historic run made him one of the most talked-about teenagers in Britain, and he subsequently went on to be crowned Premier League champion and win the Grand Slam of Darts.
Root’s 2024 saw him break Sir Alastair Cook’s record to become England’s highest Test run-scorer. He has registered more longest-format runs than any other player during the year, with his sixth century coming earlier this month.
Rugby league quadruple winners Wigan were team of the year and Sweden’s Olympic pole vault champion Armand Duplantis took the world sports star award.
It had already been announced that Sir Mark Cavendish was to receive the lifetime achievement award after he claimed a record 35th Tour de France stage win before retiring.
The Helen Rollason Award, recognising outstanding achievement in the face of adversity, went to Dr Mark Prince, founder of the Kiyan Prince Foundation that aims to keep young people away from knife crime through boxing. The foundation is named after Prince’s son Kiyan, who died aged 15 in 2006 after being stabbed.
The unsung hero award went to 90-year-old Jean Paton, a volunteer at the Salterns Sailing Club in Lymington.
Tuesday’s show was presented by Gabby Logan, Alex Scott and Clare Balding, with the BBC having confirmed last month that Gary Lineker had stepped down from his role as co-host after more than 20 years.
Strange that some of the mid table premier league teams wouldn’t take a chance on Szmodics. Obviously too good for the championship. Yet some totally unproven youngster from the continent with a bit of “potential” will cause a bidding war with someone paying 30 odd million, only to find that he can’t adapt to English football, culture, climate or whatever.
@Bert Carolan: Szmodics has said himself many times he doesn’t want to play in the premier League
@John Devine: well that’s a complete lie
@Dave Moran: A lie that he doesn’t want to play in Pl or that he said he doesn’t want to?
@John Devine: Where or when did he say that? Not doubting you but that’s a weird attitude for a championship player. Chance to secure his future, play at the highest level in England.
Premirship incomning Ipswich
@Square: Would be a good fit I think.
@Bert Carolan: Did he really say he not want to play on premirship are you just joking
@Square: John Devine said that, not me.
@Bert Carolan: Oh ya haha nonsense i think
Can someone sign him please? I don’t particularly like Rovers winning. Ipswich has to be a good fit given his time in the Colchester area. I used to live down there too and he wasn’t rated highly at the time. Every credit to him for getting to where he has.
@Justin Robinson: Ipswich after him the whole summer but no deal, looking slightly less likely to happen at this stage but hopefully it gets done, Ipswich need him I think.
@Michael Kennedy: Can’t blame Rovers for squeezing out every last penny I suppose. SS is about 13 months off being 30 so it’s now or never for him really.
@Justin Robinson: 100%, but it has fairly dragged on, Ipswich tried to sign Gallagher from them in the last transfer window, similarly difficult to deal with them then. Joke club, joke owners is what I’ve heard.