KATIE TAYLOR, Rhasidat Adeleke and Daniel Wiffen are among the athletes nominated for RTÉ’s annual Sportsperson of the Year award.
Taylor is rewarded after a unanimous decision victory over Amanda Serrano to retain her status as undisputed world light-welterweight champion.
Adeleke gets the nod after winning a gold medal at the European Championships as part of the mixed relay team, individual silver in the 400m and silver in the women’s 4 x 400m in addition to breaking several national records.
Wiffen is recognised following a double world gold, as well as an Olympic gold and bronze, and a 800m freestyle Olympic record.
The reigning RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year, Rhys McClenaghan, also makes the cut, after becoming the first-ever Irish gymnast to medal at an Olympic Games, claiming the Pommel Horse Gold.
Kellie Harrington is also included, after becoming Ireland’s first-ever individual back-to-back Olympic champion at Paris 2024, having previously won gold at the Tokyo Games.
Ciara Mageean also features, after winning gold in the 1500m at the European Championships.
The GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year and the Sunday Game Hurler of the Year 2024, Shane O’Donnell, is nominated after his achievements with Clare.
Paul O’Donovan makes the shortlist after becoming the first Irish Olympian to win medals at three consecutive games, winning Olympic gold at the double sculls — and gold at the World Rowing Championships single sculls.
Katie-George Dunlevy is recognised after consolidating her status as Ireland’s most successful female Paralympic athlete, winning gold and two silvers to take her overall Paralympic medal haul to eight. She also earned world gold on the road this year.
Paul Townend features after becoming the second jockey in history and the first since 1930 to win the Champion Hurdle, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Aintree Grand National.
Anthony Cacace is rewarded after defeating Joe Cordina to win the IBF World title belt and become Ireland’s first Super-featherweight Champion.
Finally, Róisín Ní Ríain is included after winning a silver and bronze medal at the Paralympic Games for the 100m Backstroke S13 and 200m Individual Medley SM13, and a double gold at the European Championships in the 100m back and 100m breaststroke.
The winner will be announced at the RTÉ Sport Awards on 15 December at 9.30pm live on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
Paul Donovan
A few strange nominations to be fair. What does a golfer have to do to make the list? What does a road cyclist have to do? Eddie Dunbar wins two vuelta stages and not a sniff?
@Kevin Dillon: RTE put the wrong picture up for Dan Martin one year. They are incredibly incompetent in the sports dept there
@Kevin Dillon: sex change?
Has to be wiffen doesn’t it
Surely Paul Brady coming out of retirement this year at the age of 44 and going on to win the World Handball Championships in Croke Park be deserving of a place on that list.
Taylor 100%
Has to be Wiffen. Olympic gold and bronze and world champs ….. Dunbar deserves mention in cycling and also Adeleke for her 4th and Mageehan for her European gold in athletics but surely two Olympic medals (one being gold) in a global event tops the list
Jack Kennedy won his fifth BSB Supersport Championship this year and no nomination.
@Mark O leary: who
@Liam Collins: he’s a five time British Supersport (600 cc) champion, who are you?
Didn’t Conor Mcgregor win this one year
@Barry Baz: He won nuttin
Kelly katie are paul
Ignored again this year…starting to get a bit fed up with this! Now I know how Mo Salah feels.