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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Ben James

Olivia Breen crowned BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year

Para-athlete Olivia Breen has been named BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year for 2022.

Breen won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Game in Birmingham for T37/38 100m, producing a personal best of 12.83s to edge out England's Sophie Hahn and make herself the first woman to win a track gold for Wales at the Games in 32 years in the process.

That impressive achievement followed golds in the T38 long jump at the 2017 World Para Championships and 2018 Commonwealth Games.

In Birmingham, Breen also captured the hearts of the country with her post-race interview - where her joy at winning gold simply spilled out much to the delight of those watching at home.

Speaking about winning the award - that has previously been won by the likes of Alun Wyn Jones, Lauren Price, Joe Calzaghe, Jade Jones, Gareth Bale and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson - Breen said: "I'm shocked. I didn't expect to win [the award]... this is a massive honour with such strong performances in Welsh sport.

Being part of the team was just amazing and being a team captain [in athletics] with Osian Jones was a real special moment for me. At Team Wales everyone was so supportive, we supported one another and also after Covid, it makes you appreciate life and having a crowd as well."

The award was decided by a panel, chaired by former Wales rugby international and current Welsh Rugby Union performance director, Nigel Walker, and consisting of Paralympic great Grey-Thompson, Leshia Hawkins the Cricket Wales chief executive, former Wales footballer and netball player Nia Jones and Sport Wales' Owen Lewis.

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