Shortlist unveiled for 2014 BT Sport Action Woman of the Year Award
BT Sport has today announced the shortlist for the second edition of its annual Action Woman of the Year Award.
BT Sport has today announced the shortlist for the second edition of its annual Action Woman of the Year Award.
The award celebrates the ten most spectacular sporting performances by British female athletes in the past year. A shortlist of nominees has been created with each receiving support from a high-profile sporting ambassador.
The award winner will be decided by members of the public who can vote for the athlete whose sporting achievements have made the biggest impact this year online at btsport.com. This year’s nominees are as follows:
Charlotte Edwards – Captain of the England Cricket team
Charlotte Dujardin – World, Olympic, European and World Cup Dressage Champion
Jo Pavey – European 10,000m gold medalist
Claudia Fragapane – 16-year-old gymnast and winner of four gold medals at the Commonwealth Games
Helen Glover & Heather Stanning – Record-breaking rowing World Champions
Jordanne Whiley – Grand-Slam winning women’s wheelchair doubles tennis champion
Emily Scarratt – England women’s rugby World Champion
Lizzy Yarnold – Olympic winter games skeleton gold medalist
Shauna Coxsey – Double World Cup bouldering champion
Fara Williams – England and Liverpool Ladies footballer who holds record as the most capped player in the history of English football (men or women)
Every shortlisted athlete is backed by their own famous ambassador from the world of sport and entertainment. This year they include the likes of Judy Murray, RobbieSavage and Chemmy Alcott.
Clare Balding will present the BT Sport Action Woman of the Year Awards ceremony on December 9, 2014 from BT Sport’s Olympic Park studio, where the winner will be crowned. The show will be screened on BT Sport the following day.
Rachel Atherton, the double world champion downhill cyclist, who won the inaugural Action Woman of the Year award last year, will be in the studio with Clare to hand over her trophy to the winner.
Talking about her award win, Rachel said: “It’s been incredible. Even now, a year after becoming BT Sport’s Action Woman, people are still talking about it. It’s becoming bigger and bigger. It brings together so many different sports. It opens doors between athletes and inspires people. I guess that’s the whole point, showing the world what woman are doing and inspiring others to take part in sport. I’m happy and proud to have been part of it from the start.”
Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: “After an outstanding year in women’s sport we are proud to once again be recognising and celebrating all the achievements and contributions women have made in 2014.”
Commenting on the awards, BT Sport presenter, Clare Balding, said: “I am so proud and pleased to be associated with the BT Sport Action Woman Awards as it gives an opportunity to celebrate strong, confident, dedicated, high-achieving women in sport. We all need examples of women to inspire and empower us and I think this shortlist showcases some of the very best.”
Charlotte Dujardin, the dressage rider, has been shortlisted in these awards and BT Sport’s Michael Owen, the former Liverpool and England striker, a supporter of the awards, said: “I’ve sat on a horse many times and it’s never done a thing I wanted. I think Charlotte is one of the best riders - for sheer control and movement - that I’ve ever seen.”
To register your vote please visit www.btsport.com
