England footballer Beth Mead has been voted 2022’s Sports Personality of the Year after playing a starring role in the Lionesses’ stunning European Championships victory this summer.
Mead becomes the first female footballer to win the award following England’s first major international title in 66 years, with the Lionesses defeating Germany in a thrilling final in front of 87,000 at Wembley Stadium.
Mead scored six goals at the Euros, picking up the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament awards, and was the overwhelming favourite to win the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year prize.
Mead’s award completed a hat-trick for the Lionesses, with England winning Team of the Year and manager Sarina Wiegman winning Coach of the Year.
England Test cricket captain Ben Stokes finished second with Olympic curler Eve Muirhead in third. Jake Wightman, Jessica Gadirova and Ronnie O’Sullivan were also nominated.
Mead, 27, spoke about how she used the pain of being left out of Great Britain’s squad for the Tokyo Olympics as motivation for her brilliant form in the following season, culminating in her outstanding performances at the Euros. Mead also finished runner-up in the Ballon d’Or.
Currently sidelined with an ACL injury, which has made Mead a doubt for next summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the Arsenal forward said: “I’m speechless for once. I’m incredibly honoured to win this award.
“I wouldn’t have done it without the girls. The team have backed me. Yes, I’ve won this accolade, I’ve scored a few goals but I wouldn’t have done it without them. I wouldn’t have done it without my dad, my mum and all my family.
“This is for women’s sport and women’s sport heading in the right direction. Let’s keep pushing and let’s keep doing the right thing.”
Mead is the sixth footballer to win Sports Personality of the Year after Bobby Moore, Paul Gascoigne, Michael Owen, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs. She is also the second woman to win the award in as many years, following Emma Raducanu’s victory in 2021 and 14 consecutive years of male winners.
Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi had been named World Sport Star of the Year on Monday, with Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt having been chosen as this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Rob Burrow was the recipient of the Helen Rollason Award for his work in raising awareness of motor neurone disease, a condition he was diagnosed with in 2019.
He received the award alongside his former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Kevin Sinfield, who has raised more than £7m for MND research and awareness.
Gadirova claimed the Young Sports Personality of the Year prize after she won floor gold at the World Gymnastics Championships earlier this year.
The 18-year-old was also part of the GB team which won silver at the same event, where she also claimed all-around bronze. She won the Young Personality award ahead of skateboarder Sky Brown and diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix.
Mike Alden, who was diagnosed with brittle bone disease at the age of four but went on to play football and now coaches in Bristol, won the Unsung Hero award.
Includes reporting from PA
