BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024 LIVE WINNERS: Keely Hodgkinson WINS iconic award as Littler is named Young SPOTY
THE 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year has been named.
Keely Hodgkinson is the winner of the iconic award after a stunning year in middle-distance running.
The Team GB star stormed to gold in the 800m at the Paris Olympics back in August.
It is the first time in history that a woman has won SPOTY four years in a row.
Luke Littler came second in the race for the main award, but he did add the young SPOTY trophy to his ever-expanding cabinet.
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Littler wants to meet idol
Luke Littler has revealed that the one celebrity he would like to meet is Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo.
“There’s only one person who I would like to meet and that’s Cristiano Ronaldo,” Littler told 90min.
Littler shares his appreciation
Luke Littler has issued a classy statement after narrowly missing out on being crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
“First SPOTY and taking home two trophies,” wrote Littler. “Huge honour for me to win Young Sports Personality of the Year and finish second for Sports Personality.
“Support this year has been amazing and want to say thank you to everyone who voted and sent messages.”
Luke Littler wins BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award
Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler is the winner of Young Sports Personality of the Year 2024!
The 17-year-old beat Skateboarder Sky Brown and Para-swimming medalist William Ellard to the honour.
Littler has been deservedly recognised for his exceptional exploits in his first year as a darts professional.
The Warrington ace made it to the PDC World Championship final on January 3 – he was defeated 7-4 by Luke Humphries at Ally Pally – and then became Premier League champion in May following a superb nine-dart leg.
Littler – who has banked more than £1million in prize money throughout 2024 – has won 10 titles in total and thrilled crowds across the country with his outstanding displays despite leaving school only last year.
Sir Mark Cavendish wins Lifetime Achievement award
Yes, it’s now official. Sir Mark Cavendish has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award.
The 39-year-old retired earlier this year having won a record 35 Tour de France stages. He won 165 professional races and rounded off a stellar career with victory at the Tour de France Criterium in Singapore in November.
“It’s such an amazing feeling – what an honour,” said Cavendish.
“I’ve been riding for 20 years and I’ve done everything I can so to be awarded this is something very, very special.
“I’m very fortunate I’ve done everything I wanted to do, and proud that’s more than many other people have done as well. I always dreamed of having my name alongside those greats I grew up watching.”
‘One hell of a journey’
Joe Root came third in the voting for SPOTY after another tremendous year which saw him overtake Alistair Cook to become England’s leading run scorer in Tests.
He told BBC One it had been “one hell of a journey”.
“It seems to get more enjoyable,” he said. “Clearly to go past Cooky [Sir Alastair Cook] who was a captain of mine and someone I looked up to, it was nice to get a call from him when he congratulated me.”
Chris Hoy delivers emotional speech
SPORTY viewers were left "in tears" after Sir Chris Hoy delivered an emotional speech amid his battle with terminal cancer.
The six-time Olympic gold medallist, 48, took to the stage in Salford on Tuesday to praise Team GB for their outstanding efforts at the Olympics in Paris last summer.
He said: "The Olympics and Paralympics are special. Every four long years, it's always the date ringed in the diary.
"Sometimes as an athlete when you draw back the curtains in the morning and you see the frost on the ground, you might question, is it worth leaving your warm bed to head out into the cold and dark to face the inevitable pain of training?
"1460 days of pure obsession for a single event. But let me tell you, it's worth it. Paris this summer showed us all it's worth it.
"A sporting party of epic proportions. Thousands of Olympians and Paralympians gave us all at home life's one remaining, truly unfiltered drama over six glorious weeks.
"Team GB and Paralympics GB crossed the Channel and in their hearts they carried all your hopes and dreams. And whether they took home the gold medal or fell agonisingly short, we were proud of each and every one of them.
"It's what drives us as competitors, the thought that we have something bigger than ourselves to represent. And what showed more than anything this summer is that the spirit of the games is undimmed, the spirit of our team is undimmed.
"It's now on you all, athletes, coaches, mums, dads, fans - never let this incredible team fade away.
"Together we've built something truly special. Across the summer games in Paris, we had a team to be proud of so please join me in applauding our Team GB and Paralympics GB heroes!"
'One hell of a journey'
Joe Root came third in the voting for SPOTY after another tremendous year which saw him overtake Alistair Cook to become England's leading run scorer in Tests.
He told BBC One it had been "one hell of a journey".
"It seems to get more enjoyable," he said. "Clearly to go past Cooky [Sir Alastair Cook] who was a captain of mine and someone I looked up to, it was nice to get a call from him when he congratulated me."
Littler wants to meet idol
Luke Littler has revealed that the one celebrity he would like to meet is Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo.
“There’s only one person who I would like to meet and that’s Cristiano Ronaldo,” Littler told 90min.
Cavendish wins lifetime achievement award
The cycling legend broke the record for most Tour de France stage wins this year with 35 and was honoured with the SPOTY lifetime achievement award.
He said after his win: "It's such an amazing feeling – what an honour.
"I've been riding for 20 years, and I've done everything I can so to be awarded this is something very, very special.
"I'm very fortunate I've done everything I wanted to do, and proud that's more than many other people have done as well. I always dreamed of having my name alongside those greats I grew up watching."
Prizes for team Hodgkinson
As well as Hodgkinson scooping the main gong, her trainers Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows shared the coach of the year award.
Littler shares his appreciation
Luke Littler has issued a classy statement after narrowly missing out on being crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
"First SPOTY and taking home two trophies," wrote Littler. "Huge honour for me to win Young Sports Personality of the Year and finish second for Sports Personality.
"Support this year has been amazing and want to say thank you to everyone who voted and sent messages."
Hodgkinson eyes world record
Keely Hodgkinson has revealed she feels "pretty close" to breaking the 800m world record.
Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova currently holds the record after she ran 1:53.28 in 1983.
Speaking about the possibility of breaking the record, Hodgkinson said: "I'm not afraid to put my goals out there.
"I'm pretty close [to the world record], I would like to think. I have seen this year what my body is capable of and I'm excited to push on.
"That world record is something I will always have in the back of my head. But I have so many years to get stronger so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.
"I trust in Trevor and Jenny a lot. I know what shape I'm in before I step on the start line. It all depends if it comes together and that can depend on many things in athletics."
New year, new Yee
A top six finish for men's gold medal winning triathlete Alex Yee, and there's clearly plenty left in the tank for the 26-year-old.
He had a remarkable 2024 season, culminating in two individual triathlon gold medals on the global stage.
But a new challenge awaits, and it's the London Marathon.
On taking part in the next London Marathon: "For me, London Marathon has been a special day.
"I remember leaning over the barrier as a child and now to have an opportunity to do that is exciting. I still have LA Games firmly in my sights."
Well done, dad!
When did Luke Littler realise that darts was going to be his main focus?
Well it was when his dad hung up his son's football boots, of course!
"It was when my dad started to hang my football boots up for me when I was 11 or 12," Littler said. "I was playing darts and football but he made the right decision."
Absent snooker
Snooker was mentioned in the year's highlights during one of the several montages, but there was no sign of snooker in this year's nominees.
And that's not best pleased World Championship winner Kyren Wilson, who was overlooked for a place on the shortlist for the prestigious award.
"A lot of the time in sport it's about if your face fits, not necessarily the achievements," Wilson told Sportsboom.
"I think snooker stands in that bracket as a whole, not just me missing out. It's one of the most skilled sports in the entire world. Our viewing figures speak volumes.
"I just think some of the people don't understand the sport, or follow it like the likes of us do. They don't understand what goes into being a professional snooker player.
"The amount of hours on the road, the amount of air miles, the amount of practice. You're locked away in a room on your own. There's a lot more to it than hitting balls, and I think a lot of the organisations don't see that."
Steve Davis remains the solitary snooker player to have won the prize in 1988.
And the winners were…
Here's a reminder of all of last night's winners:
- Young Sports Personality of the Year - Luke Littler
- Lifetime Achievement - Sir Mark Cavendish
- Unsung Hero - Jean Paton
- Helen Rollason - Dr Mark Prince
- World Sport Star - Armand Duplantis
- Team of the Year - Wigan Warriors
- Coach of the Year - Jenny Meadows and Trevor Painter
- Sports Personality of the Year - Keely Hodgkinson
New year, new Yee
A top six finish for men’s gold medal winning triathlete Alex Yee, and there’s clearly plenty left in the tank for the 26-year-old.
He had a remarkable 2024 season, culminating in two individual triathlon gold medals on the global stage.
But a new challenge awaits, and it’s the London Marathon.
On taking part in the next London Marathon: “For me, London Marathon has been a special day.
“I remember leaning over the barrier as a child and now to have an opportunity to do that is exciting. I still have LA Games firmly in my sights.”
Next target?
So what's next on the horizon for SPOTY winner Keely Hodgkinson?
Well, the next major competition is September's World Championships in Tokyo, where she'll be looking to take the title off Mary Moraa who beat her in Budapest in 2023.
However, a certain Athing Mu might have something to say about that.
Keely might also have a crack at 800m world record, which is 1:53.28 and has stood since 1983.
Keely coaches
Coaches of the Year Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, speaking to BBC One. Painter said: "First of all it is an honour to get the microphone as Jenny normally does all the talking.
"It is hard enough standing out in Wigan as a coach, as you have Matt Peet at Wigan Warriors, you have Shaun Wane and Andy Farrell - it is great to do the best you can."
Meadows said: "I have got to say Trevor's leadership is brilliant. He really involves that culture and fun. It is hard work on a daily basis.
"Trevor and I have walked this walk before. From 19 being in the public eye and then a lot of firsts, like moving into her own house. We have seen her navigate those three years brilliantly."
Roooooooot
Congratulations to England cricketer Joe Root on his third-placed finish.
He's the 14th cricketer to finish in the top three of BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award. Stuart Broad came second in 2023, while Ben Stokes also finished runner-up in 2022 and actually won the top prize back in 2019.
In his presentation video, England captain Stokes had some nice things to say about him.
He said of Root growing up: "He was half the size of everyone else, but was just better than everyone else.
"Joe Root is incomparable to anybody else in any other sport in my opinion. He's not settling for what he's achieved."
James Anderson added: "He was a bit cheeky. Everyone saw what a talent he was.
"In the last few years he's gone back to being the Joe that we knew before. I can't think of a better role model for the game of cricket. I've got children and I'd love them to grow up and be that sort of person."
"We are such a strong nation"
It was all a bit of a rush towards the end of the show there, awards being dished out here, there and everywhere.
But here's what SPOTY's Lifetime Achievement award winner Mark Cavendish had to say.
All off the cuff having "not prepared anything."
He said: "That was an amazing reception. I don't really know, I knew I was getting it, but I don't know what to say. I am not very good at public speaking and that's why I rode a bike for a living.
"I have always been a sports fan and sport has an incredible ability to inspire, whether you want to compete, or do it for fun, or do it as a family.
"You can do what you want with sport. I don't really watch cycling I watch everything else.
"If you look back in those years with Covid and when sport started it got everyone happy again. It is nice that we celebrate it every year with SPOTY.
"As a nation of GB we are such a strong nation in the world of sport. I know having represented the country and when you pull on the union flag it is a massive honour."