IRELAND'S RACHAEL Blackmore has won the BBC's World Sports Star of the Year. She beat out the likes of Tom Brady, Novak Djokovic, Max Verstappen, Canelo Alvarez and Elaine Thompson-Herah to win the award
The jockey became the first female to win the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and followed up a month later with victory at the Grand National.
Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore has been voted BBC Sports Personality's World Sport Star of the Year for 2021!
This is how she reacted...#SPOTY | Watch on @BBCiPlayer— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 20, 2021
She flew over from Ireland to attend the ceremony in person but was delayed at Manchester Airport.
"There was a hotel by the airport and I was there just after 8:15 p.m. and I was on TV at 8:30 p.m. I was trying to log on to Zoom and put on make-up at the same time. I had about 12 minutes to get dressed,” she said.
“When I put on my dress, I realized that the security tag was still on so that is peak 2021. When I eventually got into the car to come to the studio, I just thought, yeah, this is just my day.”
She also beat Kellie Harrington and Katie Taylor to win the RTE Sportsperson of the Year award and won the The Irish Times/Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year on Friday.
She said upon winning: "The support has been incredible. I got such a kick out of being on that list of nominees. This is just incredible," she added.
"My dreams were so big, but this has far surpassed anything I could have ever imagined.
"The reaction has been brilliant, I feel very privileged to have had the year I've had."
SHE’S DONE IT! 🙌
RACHAEL BLACKMORE WINS THE BBC WORLD SPORT STAR 2021! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/XWVcjRJgHJ— Racing Post (@RacingPost) December 19, 2021
