Cyclists triumph at The Times’ Sportswomen of the Year 2012

Cycling triumphed at the Sunday Times’ Sportswomen of the Year competition at the end of last week.

Team Pursuit Olympians Laura Trott, Dani King and Joanna Rowsell were honoured (winning Team of the Year) alongside Paralympic champion Sarah Story OBE at the London event.

Heptathlete Jessica Ennis won the key award on the night of Sportswoman of the Year. Naturally other London 2012 winners also scored prizes on the night. 

The Team Pursuit trio said: “We’re all really honoured to receive this award and it’s just been the best year possible for us. We broke the World record six consecutive times and then became World and Olympic Champions in the space of a few months. To win in London in front of a home crowd with millions watching on TV was absolutely incredible.”

Paralympic champion Sarah Storey OBE enthused: “I never expected I’d win the SWOTY Paralympian of the Year Award so it came as a lovely surprise. I first won it back in 1992 after the Barcelona Paralympic Games, which makes me feel really old! I was gutted I couldn’t make the awards ceremony as I’d been ill, so thank you to Tanni Grey-Thompson for accepting it on my behalf.”

British Cycling’s president Brian Cookson OBE, said the award comes as a new era is dawning for women’s cycling.

He said: “It’s fantastic that these brilliant women have been recognised for their amazing achievements and they should be incredibly proud in what has been a remarkable year for our female cyclists.

“Alongside the other extraordinary achievements this year by female riders including Victoria Pendleton MBE, Lizzie Armitstead and Lucy Garner, women cyclists are at the very forefront of British sport, and their success is inspiring women across the country to get on their bikes.”

PIC CREDIT: www.britishcycling.org.uk