Keely Hodgkinson won the 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award as runner-up Luke Littler claimed the Young SPOTY prize.
Hodgkinson completed her ascent to athletics superstardom by winning 800m gold for Great Britain at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Littler, who began last year’s World Darts Championship as a 16-year-old, was beaten in the final at Alexandra Palace but his success had a incredible impact on the sport’s popularity.
Joe Root, who became England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer in October, finished third. Sarah Storey, Alex Yee and Jude Bellingham were the other finalists for the public vote.
Hodgkinson burst onto the global scene at the age of 19 by winning the 800m silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Few outside of the British athletics scene had heard of her at that moment, but those who had knew she was destined for stardom.
She claimed two World Championship silver medals before finally delivering on a golden evening at the beginning of August in Paris.
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.
Littler has had a sensational year in 2024, picking up 10 titles including his first ranking major at the Grand Slam of Darts, a feat only completed before by Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright.
Littler’s meteoric rise has seen him become the face of the sport, with the likes of David Beckham sending him good luck messages as he went from world youth champion to centre of the professional game.
Wigan Warriors named team of the year
Super League champions Wigan Warriors were named team of the year after winning four trophies in a historic 2024.
The Warriors began the season by defeating Australia’s triple NRL champions Penrith Panthers to win the World Club Challenge.
They then added the Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield, before beating Hull KR in October’s Grand Final at Old Trafford.
It is just the third time in the award’s history that a Rugby League club has won it, with Wigan adding to their 1994 triumph and St Helens’ 2006 win.
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