BBC Sports Personality of the Year LIVE: Keely Hodgkinson wins 2024 SPOTY award at glitzy ceremony

Hodgkinson stormed clear to victory in the final to finally clinch a global gold medal, having won silver at the Tokyo Games three years earlier and twice won silver at the World Athletics Championships.

The 22-year-old came out on top of a public vote in a six-athlete shortlist that contained serial Paralympic champion Dame Sarah Storey, Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham, England’s record Test run scorer Joe Root, Olympic triathlon gold medallist Alex Yee and darts sensation Luke Littler – who was presented with the Young Sports Personality of the Year prize.

2025 promises to be another exciting year in the world of sport.

Here, the PA news agency picks out 10 stars who are expected to shine, from Keely Hodgkinson to Ellie Kildunne.

England finished as runners-up at the European Championship and Team GB earned 65 medals at this summer’s Olympics in Paris.

Here the PA news agency takes a look at some of the best images from this year’s sporting action.

Littler’s main concern will be his upcoming tie in the World Darts Championships. It’s the competition he made his name in last year, when he lost the final to Luke Humphries – he takes on the winner of Ryan Meikle vs Fallon Sherrock in the second round on Saturday, 21 December.

Later in the year, he’ll look to repeat his victories in the Grand Slam of Darts, the Premier League and World Series Finals.

Luke Littler, who came second in the main award, spoke at more length when picking up his prize for Young Sports Personality of the Year.

“It just goes to show how well I have done this year,” he said.

“Not only for myself, but I have changed the sport of darts.

“I know the amount of academies that have been brought up in different locations, how big the sport has got.

“Tickets selling out with the Ally Pally in hours and the Premier league selling out – it just goes to show how much I have changed it.”

Hodgkinson’s caches, Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, also gave some words after picking up their gong.

“First of all it is an honour to get the microphone as Jenny normally does all the talking,” said Painter.

“It is hard enough standing out in Wigan as a coach, as you have Matt Peet at Wigan Warriors, you have Shaun Wane and Andy Farrell – it is great to do the best you can.”

Meadows said: “I have got to say Trevor’s leadership is brilliant. He really involves that culture and fun. It is hard work on a daily basis.”

Hodgkinson joins Mary Earps, Beth Mead and Emma Raducanu as the last four winners of the award, marking the first time in it’s history in which four women have won in a row!

Below is the moment that Hodgkinson was crowned winner for 2024!

The 22-year-old will have her sights set on breaking the 800m world record of 1:53.28, which has stood since 1983.

She will also look to claim the World Championship title in Tokyo in mid-September, when she could well re-ignite her rivalry with the United States’ Athing Mu.

Keely Hodgkinson was already a world-class athlete long before that sticky August night inside the Stade de France when she streaked clear to claim Olympic glory. And yet it is a mark of the Games’ unique power that even an elite 800m runner can have their life changed by winning that first Olympic title. With gold came more recognition, more opportunities, and more strange encounters in ordinary life.

“I was pottery painting in a little cafe in Sale… that was random,” she says, pondering some of the oddest moments of her post-Paris era. “Some woman came in and was like: ‘Are you the runner?’”

A more glamorous encounter came when she was flown out to Milan Fashion Week in September, courtesy of Armani. “The trip was absolutely amazing,” she beams. “They flew me out and I sat in the front row at the fashion show. We had lots of dinners, I got to meet him, Giorgio Armani … He came over to me and he put his hand on my cheek and called me bella, which I thought was really nice. He can’t speak English but he’s quite into his sport. It was just quite funny because he’s just this powerful, small man. He’s a lot older now, he’s 90 years old, but he looks great.”