Wiggins thanks for ‘incredible’ BBC sports award
Bradley Wiggins tops off a golden year with the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award following his Tour de France victory and London 2012 Olympic gold success.
Sebastian Coe won the lifetime achievement honour at the ceremony held at London’s ExCeL Centre.
Wiggins, who this year became the first Briton to win the Tour de France, followed days later by a gold medal in the Olympic time trial, received 492,064 (30 per cent) phone votes for the main award last night.
It was more than 7 per cent more than Ennis and 15 per cent more than US Open winner and Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray.
Double Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah missed out on an award, coming fourth with 8 per cent of the votes.
Pressing re-dial
Accepting the award from the Duchess of Cambridge, in her first appearance in hospital since a spell in hospital with severe morning sickness, Wiggins thanked the voters, including his grandmother for pressing re-dial “God knows how many times”.
He later told the BBC that he could not believe Farah had not won.
The 32-year-old said: “It has been incredible. To do this and be part of this after what everyone achieved tonight makes it more special.
It is something to tell my kids because I think Mo will go down in history like Lord Coe, Bradley Wiggins
“To sit in the crowd and listen to Andy, then Jess, be announced – well, my thoughts were Mo Farah had won it. For him to not get a look-in is incredible.
“It is something to tell my kids because I think Mo will go down in history like Lord Coe.”
Lord Coe was awarded the lifetime achievement honour for his athletics career and in recognition of his role in bringing the Olympics and Paralympics to London, and of their success.
Fighting back tears, he said he was flattered and honoured to win the award.