7 world titles...now Hamilton drives off with SPOTY crown
Record-breaker Hamilton wins SPOTY prize for the second time
LEWIS HAMILTON crowned his recordbreaking 2020 last night when he was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year for the second time.
The Mercedes driver was voted the winner ahead of Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and jockey Hollie Doyle to claim the prestigious prize he first won in 2014.
Hamilton had been the odds-on favourite for the SPOTY award after equalling Michael Schumacher’s record haul of seven Formula One world titles, as well as beating the German’s tally of 91 grand prix wins.
The 35-year-old, who is also set to be knighted in the New Year Honours, is only the fifth person to win the BBC gong more than once — a list which includes fellow F1 greats Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill. He has finished in the top three of SPOTY six times, which is more than anyone else.
After picking up the award at his home, Hamilton said: ‘ I really wasn’t expecting this, knowing there are so many great contenders. I am really proud to be among some iconic heroes.
‘I will continue to do my part to represent the country in the best way I can. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am so grateful to the British public. It’s been a long journey together.
Hamilton won 11 races in the 2020 season and is statistically the greatest F1 driver of all time.
Reflecting on his historic season and matching the legendary Schumacher, Hamilton added: ‘Those last few laps building up to the world title and the dream becoming a reality, I thought about all my family gave and it brought out a lot of emotion.
‘I love what I do and I’ve been passionate about it since I was five years old.’
Hamilton faced stiff competition from Henderson and Doyle, who were the subject of major social media campaigns from Liverpool and the horseracing community respectively.
Doyle, the only woman on the six-person shortlist, said: ‘It felt unbelievable but it felt like I was picking it up for the horseracing industry, not just myself. I always thought that good things like this don’t happen to people like me but I’m just honoured.’
While Henderson missed out on the main award, Liverpool took home the Team of the Year trophy for their first Premier League title success and Jurgen Klopp was named Coach of the Year.
On winning Team of the Year, Klopp said: ‘Getting this prize in Manchester makes it even sweeter! My team deserve it because they did an incredible job. It is a mix of talent, character, desire, plus the power of the club, which is really a big one. That all comes together, so we became champions and it was a great moment.’
On the Coach of the Year gong, he added: ‘Usually you win a prize because you are a football coach. This time the other contenders are from all different sports and I have never won something like this, so it is really nice.’
Last night’s scaled-backk show was held without a live public ublic audience for the first time me since 2005 because of Covid restrictions, , although 1,000 people made up a ‘ virtual’ crowd. Nominee Tyson Fury refused to be involved, having had his request to be withdrawn from the public vote ignored by the BBC.
Addressing Fury’s absence ce last night, host Gabby Logan ogan said: ‘Tyson has askedd that people do not vote for him.m HeHehashas decided not to engage with the show or accept any award and that is Tyson’s choice.’
Marcus Rashford was at Media City just hours after helping Manchester United thrash Leeds at nearby Old Trafford, to pick up a Special Award.
The forward was controversially omitted from the main award, which is based on sporting achievement, but was given the specially created trophy for his campaign to end child food poverty.
Rashford, 23, said: ‘I’ve always had this thing that eats at me — “make sure you make a difference fforor tthe next generation ”. generation ‘As a country, we should always protect them as much as we can and give them the best chance at life and becoming whatever it is they want to become.’
A unique sporting year was reflected by some of the other winners including Captain Sir Tom Moore, who was given the Helen Rollason Award for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity.
The 100-year- old former army officer raised £38.9million for the NHS by walking laps of his garden at the height of the Covid- 19 pandemic.