BBC Sports Personality of the Year LIVE: Keely Hodgkinson crowned 2024 SPOTY winner at Salford awards ceremony
The 71st edition of the awards takes place in Salford this evening, with Hodgkinson and Luke Littler among the favourites
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Your support makes all the difference.Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson was voted the BBC’s 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.
Littler came second in the public vote, while England cricket star 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.
Mark Cavendish won the lifetime achievement award after breaking the record for most Tour de France stage wins in July, while there were gongs for the young sports personality (Luke Littler), the best overseas sportsperson (Mondo Duplantis), the team of the year (Wigan Warriors) and more.
Prince: “I am not often short of words"
Helen Rollason award winner Dr Mark Prince says that he is “not often short of words I am always up and motivating other people and this is really overwhelming for me.
“I want to let Nikki Rollason know that this is such a blessing receiving this award in your mum’s name - your mum was an awesome individual,” he adds.
“I don’t often talk about being proud of myself and I am so driven no matter how many kids I help. I just want to go to the next person, but I am proud of the fact when at a time there seemed to be no hope I kept believing and that Jesus Christ my saviour was going to do great things.
“I am proud of the fact I didn’t give in to revenge.
“God has given us a choice and we can choose no matter what happens to us we have a power of choice.
“We can choose how we deal with it.
“We have not got the choice of what happens, but the choice of how we deal with it.”
More reaction
Some reaction from award winners, starting with Armand Duplantis.
“I am so honoured to be awarded the World Sports Personality of the Year award. I am so sorry I couldn’t be there,” he says in a video.
“I am back in the States and training for the up-and-coming season.
“I am amongst the biggest legends in world sports with this award and this really means a lot to me,” he adds.
Sports Personality of the Year LIVE
The next montage tells the story of Euro 2024, with England falling at the final hurdle for the second time in a row in the competition. It then moves onto another nominee – Jude Bellingham.
Bellingham moved to Real Madrid before the start of last season, and won La Liga and the Champions League before helping England to the final of the Euros.
Bellingham is on duty with Real Madrid at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, so there’s no interview with him.
Sir Mark Cavendish to receive Lifetime Achievement award
A little word on one of the awards we already know about, with Mark Cavendish being given the Lifetime Achievement award this year.
The 39-year-old retired from the sport earlier this year having won 165 races during his career, though it is likely his record for most Tour de France stage wins that’ll be his lasting legacy. The Isle of Man-born cyclist secured his 35th victory in Saint Vulbas in July.
He will receive his award during tonight’s ceremony, though when speaking to the BBC beforehand he said: “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.”
Armand Duplantis named as World Sports Star
Swedish pole vaulter Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis has been voted as the World Sports Star of the year.
The 25-year-old has broken the world record three times this year, one of which was on the way to winning gold at Paris 2024.
Littler: “I can definitely do it for another 25 or 30 years"
Littler says his obsession with darts started when his dad “decided to hang my football boots up for me”.
“Our lives have change and we’ve had to get on with it,” he says, selecting his time meeting the Manchester United squad as a moment where he had to pinch himself.
“When you’re playing darts for that long, constantly throwing at the same segment, it all adds up.
“I know myself, if I want it then I can definitely do it for another 25 or 30 years,” he adds.
Sports Personality of the Year LIVE
The second nominee montage comes for Luke Littler, who made his World Darts Championship debut this year, becoming the youngest player to reach the tournament’s final.
In November, Littler won the Grand Slam of Darts for his first major ranking title.
The Helen Rollanson award
The first award of the night is the Helen Rollason Award, which was introduced in 1999 in memory of the BBC Sport journalist and presenter, who died that year at the age of 43. The award recognises outstanding achievement in the face of adversity.
This year, Dr Mark Prince, founder of the Kiyan Prince Foundation, has been honoured. The foundation is in memory of his son, Kiyan, who was stabbed to death outside his school in 2006.
The foundation aims to keep young people away from knife crime through boxing.
Root: “It’s been great fun"
Speaking via video link, Joe Root says that “it’s been great fun to play in a team where you all get on well together”.
“It’s been a hell of a journey from start to finish, this year as well.
“To go past Cookie, a mentor and a friend, is obviously nice.
“We do spend a lot of time together, it’s a massive part of what brings our success.
“We need to make sure we look after each other, get the best out of each other.
Sports Personality of the Year LIVE
The first nominee-related montage is for Joe Root, who became England’s all-time leading Test runscorer, surpassing Sir Alastair Cook’s mark of 12,472, when he got to 71 on day three of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan in October.
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