SJA Honours Dave Brailsford

 

December 15, 2005: from Stuart Benstead

Cycle sport was honoured at the prestigious annual Sports Journalists of GB (SJA) awards when Dave Brailsford, Performance Director of British Cycling for the past three years, was presented with the trophy for the greatest contribution to sport in 2005 'outside the field of play', ie for administrators. It recognised the feat of the team of coaches led by Brailsford in achieving 13 world championship gold medals and eight European championship gold medals, plus 18 silver or bronze medals during this year.

Particularly apt was that the presentation to Brailsford was made by Victoria Pendleton, World Sprint Champion, on behalf of the SJA in perhaps a role reversal as Brailsford is effectively her boss!

The SJA awards, supported by UK Sport, and which started in 1949, were held on Thursday, 15 December, at the Radisson SAS hotel in London under the Presidency of Michael Parkinson. Brailsford was in good company as the Sportswoman of the Year award was received by runner Paul Radcliffe, who said how much she valued it, as did cricketer Andrew Flintoff, who received it via a satellite link to Pakistan. Lord Coe received an award on behalf of the London 2012 Bid team and the England Women's Cricket Team won the Team of the Year award for winning the women's Ashes series. Zara Phillips, daughter of the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, dashed across between events while competing in the Olympia indoor stadium to receive the International Newcomer award for her victory in the European 3-day Event Championship.

The Outstanding Contribution to Sport award has been won by cycle sport twice before. Eileen Gray, past president of BC, won it in 1984 much for her achievement in introducing women's cycle racing at world championship level, while Peter Keen won it in 2000 for his establishment of the new world class coaching structure which has progressed to it present level under the direction of Brailsford. On the competitive side, SJA awards have been made over the years to Reg Harris, Beryl Burton, Colin Sturgess, Nicole Cook and Bradley Wiggins.

It was a great couple of days for Brailsford as the previous day he had received the MBE from Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace and he even won a raffle prize at the SJA luncheon of a weekend stay at the Radisson SAS Hotel! Leaving soon for Australia with the GB team for its component parts to prepare for the Commonwealth Games, it will be a long time before he can take advantage of a relaxed weekend in London.