Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton became the 67th winner of BBC Sports Personality of the Year for the second time after a record breaking year in his sport.
Hamiliton was the favorite to win the prize after equaling Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world tittles in his fourth consecutive championship.
The British driver who congratulated every one that participated in the competitions had also surpassed Germany’s great total of 91 Grand prix victories.
”I want to say congratulations to all the incredible nominees. I’m so proud of what they have achieved.” said Hamiliton
The Jovial Hamiliton said ‘I want to say thank you to everyone that has voted for me. I wasn’t expecting this knowing there was so many great contenders. ‘I want to say Merry Christmas to everyone – it has been such an unusual year and I want to mention all the frontline workers and all the children round the world, I want you to try and stay positive through this difficult time, I’m sending you all positivity. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.’
Liverpool’s captain Jordan Henderson finished second, while Jockey Hollie Doyle finished third. Reflecting on his nomination earlier in the night, Hamilton said: ‘I’ve been racing 27 years it’s been a long time, there were so many sacrifices for my family. 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 bought out a lot of emotion.”
Liverpool Football Club won the team of the year prize. Manger Jurgen Klopp and captain Jordan Henderson collected the award after winning their first Premier League title in 30 years.
The smiling Klopp said winning the team of the year award was sweeter because he was picking it up in Manchester and he was honoured coach of the year.
Klopp said: ‘My team deserve this, because they did an incredible job. It’s a mix of talent, character, desire and the power of the club which is a big one. That all comes together and it was a great moment when we became Champions.
‘We want to organize a big party when it’s allowed again, could take a little while again but until then maybe we can win something else we will see. We can’t wait to see the fans again and winning this prize in Manchester is even sweeter.’
The six-man shortlist for the main prize featured representatives from cricket, horse racing, boxing, F1, football and snooker, with Stuart Broad, Hollie Doyle, Tyson Fury, Lewis Hamilton, Jordan Henderson and Ronnie O’Sullivan all up for the top prize.
Broad, the Nottinghamshire fast bowler, passed 500 career wickets during the final two tests against the West Indies this summer. Doyle, the only female nominee and the first female jockey to be nominated for this award, rode a historic double on British Champions Day, broke her own record for the number of winners ridden by a British woman in a year, while becoming the first woman to ride five riders on the same card.
Fury became a two-time world heavyweight champion by defeating Deontay Wilder to claim the WBC title in Las Vegas in February. Fury, however, asked to be removed from the shortlist and refused to engage with the awards ceremony. England midfielder Henderson, meanwhile, guided Liverpool to their first Premier League title in 30 years.
Captain Tom Moore won the Helen Rollason award after he raised £39million for the NHS by walking laps of his garden. A new category was named after Captain Tom, and Tobias Weller won the ‘Captain Tom Young Unsung Hero’ award. UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov won the world sport star, Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix claimed Young Sports Personality of the Year while Manchester United attacker Marcus Rashford was also honored.
