Georgia Hall
The winners of The Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards 2018 have been announced at a star-studded ceremony at the News UK offices at London Bridge.
The prestigious awards, now in their 31st year, celebrate the outstanding contribution to sport made by elite performers, coaches, administrators, community volunteers and inspirational female figures.
The awards were attended by Olympic champions Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill (athletics), Victoria Pendleton (track cycling) and Kate Richardson-Walsh (hockey), European 100m and 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith, track cyclist Katie Archibald, British Open golf winner Georgia Hall, and the 1980 Olympic silver medal-wining swimmer Sharron Davies.
Alex Butler, sports editor, The Sunday Times said: “I’ve been involved with this event now for more than 20 years and it is staggering how the number of Olympic gold medalists, world title-holders, major champions and supreme competitors within British women’s sport seems to grow every year.
“The real beauty of these awards, however, is they’re not only about the headline-makers. They also turn the spotlight on people behind the scenes, often unrecognised, invariably unpaid, who educate, train and inspire the champions of today and the future. Where would we be without them?”
The judging panel of the 2018 Sportswomen of the Year Awards consisted of: Eleanor Oldroyd (SWOTY judging chair & BBC Radio 5 Live presenter), Rebecca Adlington, Chemmy Alcott, Amanda Bennett, Alex Butler, Kate Dale, Jill Douglas, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Kirsty Gallacher, Helen Glover, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Michele Hammond, Ruth Holdaway, Gabby Logan, Christine Ohuruogu, Victoria Pendleton and Chantal Scherer.
Previous winners of the main award include Sally Gunnell, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Denise Lewis, Dame Kelly Holmes, Zara Phillips, Victoria Pendleton, Christine Ohuruogu and Laura Trott. Elise Christie, the world champion short-track speed skater, was crowned the 2017 Sportswoman of the Year.
YOUNG SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
Nominees must have been 21 or younger on January 1, 2018
Winner: Georgia Hall (Golf)
Georgia Hall became the third home-grown winner of the Women’s British Open.
The 22-year-old won her first major title in August with a two-shot victory over Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum at Royal Lytham and St Annes.
Hall started the fourth round one shot behind Phatlum but, after picking up five shots on the final day, her closing score of 67 meant she finished on 17-under to land the £383,000 winners’ cheque.
The Bournemouth golfer was the only person to post four sub-70 rounds.
Karen Stupples (2004) and Catriona Matthew (2009) were the other two British winners of the event since it became a major in 2001.
