There was a bumper haul for the North West at last night’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards, with athletes, teams and coaches from the region taking home five of the eight awards presented at the televised live ceremony in Media City’s dock10.
Greater Manchester middle-distance runner Keely Hodgkinson took the main BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024 proze, with teenage Cheshire darts player Luke Littler second. Sheffield cricketer Joe Root took third in the race for the prestigious award for a Northern clean sweep of the main prize.
Hodgkinson’s 2024 culminated in an 800m gold at the Paris Olympics, securing Team GB’s first Olympic track title since Mo Farah’s 5000m and 10,000m double in Rio. Her flawless performance broke a string of near misses on the global stage and confirmed her status as one of Britain’s greatest ever middle-distance runners. Her exploits at the Stade de France saw the 22-year-old become only the 10th British woman to win an Olympic track and field gold.
The Olympic winner said: “I’m actually in a bit of shock. Thank you so much. 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’ve had since I was 17. This year has been absolutely incredible for me. I’ve achieved everything I’ve 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 everyone that voted at home, I hope you all loved watching Paris as much as I’ve loved competing in it and I wish you all a wonderful evening. Thank you so much.”
Second-placed Littler, meanwhile, landed the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award. The teenager shook darts to its core in 2024 with one of the most astonishing breakthrough years the world of sport has ever seen. At just 16-years-old, and ranked a lowly 164th in the world, the prodigy stormed to the PDC World Championship final, smashing records and taking down some of the game’s biggest names along the way. Although runner-up on that occasion, his first major title soon followed at the Premier League of Darts, while his victory at the prestigious Grand Slam of Darts made him just the fourth player in history to win 10 trophies in one season and took his earnings over £1m.
Wigan Warriors took home Team of the Year following an all-conquering 2024 which saw them become the first team in the Super League era to complete the quadruple of World Club Challenge, Challenge Cup, League Leaders’ Shield and Grand Final. In doing so they matched the record of the great Wigan side of 1994 who became the first side to win all four major trophies in one campaign. Matt Peet’s side did not concede a single try in their last four games of the season and conceded just two points in total across those matches, including in the Grand Final, as they proved to be an unstoppable force in both attack and defence.
Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, from Manchester’s M11 Track Club, were jointly awarded Coach of the Year. The husband and wife pair coached Hodgkinson to her sensational Olympic gold in the 800m and also coached Georgia Bell to 800m bronze in Paris as well as Lewis Davey, who took bronze in the men’s 4x400m relay.
Finally, as previously announced, Manx cyclist Sir Mark Cavendish was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award. The most successful sprinter of all time was presented with the award for his incredible career and dedication to cycling.
Elsewhere, the Helen Rollason Award was presented to London’s former champion boxer Dr Mark Prince OBE, Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis was awarded World Sport Star of the Year after retaining his Olympic title and breaking his own world record in Paris and 90-year-old Jean Paton was presented with the Unsung Hero award for her volunteer work with young sailors at the Salterns Sailing Club in Lymington, Hampshire.
Alex Kay-Jelski, BBC director of sport said: “All of this year’s Sports Personality of the Year contenders and winners truly embody the magic of sport – talent, determination and the power to inspire and unite. It’s been another incredible year of sport and evening was the ultimate celebration of sporting greatness. I can’t wait to see the nation come together to celebrate more sporting moments in 2025.”
