Record-breaking triathlete and Ironman champion Chrissie Wellington was yesterday crowned the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year for 2009.

Beating off strong competition from World Champion heptathlete Jessica Ennis and Olympic cyclist, and 2007 winner, Victoria Pendleton, the 32-year-old from Norfolk exclusively told sport.co.uk of her pride at winning the prestigious award:

“It feels absolutely surreal.

“It’s like winning the World Championships all over again, I have to pinch myself to believe it. It’s a huge honour.”

Wellington’s victory capped an amazing afternoon, in which the England women’s cricket team and its young starlet Holly Colvin and England football coach Hope Powell were all also rewarded for their respective success in 2009. 

The Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year

Winner:  Chrissie Wellington (ironman triathlete)

2nd: Jessica Ennis (athletics)

3rd:  Victoria Pendleton (cycling)

Also nominated: Catriona Matthew (golf), Gemma Spofforth (swimming), Claire Taylor (cricket)

Team of the Year



Winner: England women’s cricket team

Also nominated: Gillian Cooke and Nicola Minichiello (bobsleigh pair); Great Britain women’s canoe polo team.

Young Sportswoman of the Year



Winner: Holly Colvin (cricket)

Also nominated: Elizabeth Armistead (cycling), Francesca Halsall (swimming)

Disabled Sportswoman of the Year

Winner: Sarah Storey (Paralympic cycling)

Also nominated: Danielle Brown (archery), Clare Strange (wheelchair basketball)

Sports Businesswoman



Winner: Karen Earl

Sports Leader of the Year



Winner: Hope Powell (national coach of the England women’s football team)

Also nominated: Clare Connor (head of England women’s cricket at the ECB), Rebecca Gibson (women’s boxing development manager for the Amateur Boxing Association of England)

Sponsorship of the Year

WSFF award for brands that have successfully supported and promoted women’s sport in Britain.

Winner: McDonald’s ‘Mums On The Ball’ initiative

Community Club Volunteer Award

Sport England award for individuals who have actively engaged with different groups of women within their community through sport

Winner: Cathy Rooney

Also nominated: Bee Gregorie, Liz Chowienczyk, Jane Jewell

PE Teacher of the Year

Winner: Caroline Sidell (South Bromsgrove High, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire)

Also nominated: Sue Simpson (Southend High School for Girls), Annette Woodrow (Kingsbury High School, Brent, north-west London)

The Helen Rollason Award for Inspiration

Recognising inspirational endeavour in honour of the late Helen Rollason

Winner: Dee Caffari

Lifetime Achievement Award

CCPR award which recognises a lifetime of sporting success

Winner: Rachael Heyhoe-Flint

The Selection & The Judges

This year saw BBC Radio 5 Live presenter, Eleanor Oldroyd chairing the panel along with Amanda Bennett - Head of Policy, UK Sport, Jo Colin - Head of High Quality PE, Youth Sport Trust, Danny Crates – Former Paralympic gold medal-winning athlete, Di Ellis - Chairman of British Rowing, Jon Holmes – Managing Director, Jon Holmes Media Ltd, Tessa Sanderson - Former Olympic javelin champion, Bryony Shaw - Olympic bronze medal-winning windsurfer, Georgie Thompson - Sky Sports presenter, Sue Tibballs – Chief Executive, Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation, Caroline Weber – Executive Director, Communications and Public Affairs, Sport England.