Sports Personality of the Year LIVE: Emma Raducanu wins 2021 prize
Follow live reaction after Emma Raducanu beats Tom Daley and Adam Peaty to the 2021 award
Follow live reaction after Emma Raducanu was voted the 2021’s Sports Personality of the Year in recognition of the 18-year-old’s stunning victory at the US Open in September. Raducanu became Britain’s first female singles Grand Slam champion for 44 years when she defeated Leylah Fernandez in a thrilling final in New York.
Tom Daley finished second with Adam Peaty in third. Tyson Fury, Dame Sarah Story and Raheem Sterling were also nominated on the six-person shortlist. Raducanu becomes the first woman to win the award since Zara Phillips in 2006.
“It was such an honour to be named amongst these nominees,” said Raducanu, who was unable to be at the ceremony after tested positive for Covid-19. “To win is pretty amazing to me. I’m really happy with this as I watched Sports Personality of the Year growing up, but I’m really humbled to be able to join the past winners. I’m really happy as well for British tennis that we were able to win this award again. Thank you to all the voters and fans for their support this year - it’s been insane.”
Raducanu rose to prominence during her run to the fourth round of Wimbledon in July before she had to withdraw from her match due to breathing difficulties. But the teenager learned from the experience and didn’t drop a single set on the way to becoming the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final, where her dramatic victory over Fernandez captured the attention of the country. Follow below for latest reaction and a full list of award winner from Sports Personality of the Year.
Sports Personality of the Year 2021
It’s time for the Team of the Year award - and it’s the England men’s football team!
Gareth Southgate: “They are a team. What appealed to people is that from the youngest to the oldest, they pulled together through the whole summer. They represented the country brilliantly off and on the pitch.”
Sports Personality of the Year 2021
Rachael Blackmore has been voted World Sport Star of the Year! She beats Max Verstappen, Tom Brady, Canelo Alvarez and Elaine Thompson-Herah to the award.
“It’s unbelievable. The support has been incredible. It’s overwhelming to think I’ve been given an award after Simone Biles.”
It’s an impressive double for Blackmore, after she won the RTE Sports Personality of the Year award earlier today.
Sports Personality of the Year 2021
Rachael Blackmore, the first female jockey to win the Grand National, is live on the show.
“Those dreams were so big I don’t think it was possible to dream them,” she says. “It was an incredible year.
“The reaction has been brilliant. When you can bring joy to more people that makes it even more special.
“The Grand National was incredible - I was where I wanted to be. You need a lot of things to fall into place, but they did.”
Sports Personality of the Year 2021
The show takes a moment to recognise Lewis Hamilton’s achievements in 2021. The seven-time world champion missed out on the shortlist.
“You are one of Britain’s greatest sportspeople,” says Gary Lineker.
Sports Personality of the Year 2021
US gymnast Simone Biles wins the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Thank you for this unbelievable honour- it is truly humbling after seeing some of the winners of this award. 2021 wasn’t quiet the year I was expecting. This summer I had to take a step back from competition because of an invisible injury.
“I chose to speak out to show that mental health struggles are nothing to be ashamed of. I was scared to speak out but the support was overwhelming.
“What I will always treasure more than any medal is hearing that I have made someone a little better. I will continue to speak out about mental health.”
Sports Personality of the Year 2021
There’s lots of great memories from Tokyo on display - and we could have some winners who were at the Games in the upcoming awards...
Sports Personality of the Year 2021
Sam Barlow is this year’s winner of the Unsung Hero Award- you can find out more about her story below.
Sports Personality of the Year 2021
Voting is now open for the Sports Personality of the Year award.
Sports Personality of the Year 2021
Raheem Sterling is travelling back from Manchester City’s win over Newcastle, but he was interviewed earlier today.
“It’s always a dream to play at Wembley, having grown up yards from the stadium. The one thing that we do have as a collective is belief. You could see against Germany the belief we had, with everyone behind us. The environment within the national team, each tournament we go a step further. The World Cup will be no different. We believe we could have won the Euros but the World Cup is another opportunity. We want to win it and hopefully we will be ready.”
Sports Personality of the Year 2021
Gareth Southgate on the Euros and England’s summer.
“An amazing journey. I spent many of the months after thinking about what might have been, but as we approach the end of the year it’s time to reflect on the incredible job that the players done.
“The penalty shootout was the one sour note. We did an incredible job. We know as a team that we are progressing. We haven’t got there yet but we are amongst six or seven sides who could win the World Cup.
“[Raheem] had a disappointing end to the season and we had a highly-motivated player. He is a danger for other teams and had a sense of destiny being from Wembley. He had a hunger to show what he could do on that stage.”
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