Pendleton Voted Sportswoman of the Year

 

Story posted December 13

Source: Stuart Benstead
Photos Gerry McManus (www.gerrymcmanus.co.uk)

Above: Winners at the SJA Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards (left to right): Joe Calzaghe, world boxing champion and winner of the SJA President's Award; Victoria Pendleton; and Louis Hamilton.

 

The members of the Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain have voted cyclist Victoria Pendleton their Sportswoman of the Year with the presentation of the trophy in London on Wednesday, 12 December, in front of a star studded assembly of sportsmen and sportswomen and journalists from national and regional newspapers, TV and radio. Victoria shared the top honours with motor racing's Louis Hamilton who won the SJA Sportsman of the Year Award.

 

Victoria scooped most votes in recognition of her winning three World Championships on the track in Mallorca last March. Despite the long wait and challenging performances by many other top sportswomen during the summer and more recently, nobody could produce the impact of this multiple championship performance which took her onto the platform where two years ago she was merely asked to present an award to British Cycling's chief coach Dave Brailsford. Now she was there in her own right and thanked UK Sport and British Cycling for their support and her personal coach Shane Sutton, the Performance Manager of the Great Britain Cycling team.

Above: ITV's Matt Smith presents Victoria Pendleton with her trophy.

 

The 27-year-old from Stotfold in Hertfordshire, said afterwards "It's really flattering. I know where track cycling lies in terms of popularity in the UK so it is really nice that the journalists have given me support and recognition. When I came back from the World Championships I was really surprised by how many reports there were about my success in a variety of newspapers right across the board. It was quite a joy being in the airport and looking through the news stand seeing my big lollipop helmet head in all the papers."

 

Watched by proud father Max and mother Pauline, the British Sprinter announced that she would be aiming for four gold medals at the next Track Cycling World championships in Manchester at the end of March next year. "If my timetable allows it, then I will go for four" Pendleton announced. "We will have to wait and see but we have got one day extra to spread the events over so it should work out a lot easier."

 

Her main objective for the year will, however, be the Olympic Games in Beijing where she will only have one discipline in which she can compete, the Sprint. Her other World titles are in the Keirin (a bunched sprint from behind a pacing motor; and the Team Sprint time trial over two laps of the track where she was partnered by Shaneze Reade. The fourth title Victoria aims for in Manchester will be the 500 metre time trial, which has been withdrawn from the Olympic programme. She pointed out that it is vital to be successful in Manchester as this is the means to qualify to take part in the Olympics in Beijing. So she will have to reach two peaks in form in the one year.

 

Victoria has just returned from China where she raced in a UCI Track World Cup meeting but was knocked off in the Keirin final, fortunately without major injury. She had won this event the previous week in a World Cup meeting in Sydney, Australia, and only returned to the UK the day before the London SJA presentation. While away she missed the ceremony to present her with the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Award.

 

This is the 49th year of the SJA Sportswoman of the Year Award won last year by horsewoman Zara Phillips. One has to go back to 1967 when it was previously won by cycling's world road race champion Beryl Burton. The men's award started in 1949 and was won the following year by sprinter Reg Harris, while Tom Simpson won it in 1967.

 

 

Other Photos

Well known rider and organiser in cycling Max Pendleton with his famous daughter Victoria and mother Pauline. (Steve Rowe Photography)

 

Well known rider F1 driver and runner up in this years championship, from Stevenage, Lewis Hamilton with near neighbour from Stotfold, Victoria Pendleton. (Steve Rowe Photography)

 

Related Links

http://www.victoriapendleton.co.uk/

http://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/