Voting has closed for SJA members to decide the winners of three major categories at the SJA British Sports Awards 2024; winners will be announced live on Sky Sports News on Wednesday 20 November; Stuart Broad, Mary Earps and Manchester City’s men’s team claimed the 2023 honours; who will take the top prizes this year?
By Alex Lancaster-Lennox
In 2024, Alex Yee cemented his place in the triathlon and British sporting history books, making him a strong nomination for the SJA Sportsman of the Year.
The highlight of his season was the Olympic victory in Paris where Yee exhibited his ability to control a race, utilising his strengths to overcome a competitive field.
Yee dealt with the rescheduling of the event because of the Seine pollution and the challenging conditions of the river current, starting the run at the front of the pack.
He dropped to second behind New Zealander Hayden Wilde for the majority of the final stage and went into the final lap 10 seconds behind the race leader.
But he told the BBC: “At 2.5 km, I thought, I’m going to give myself one last chance at this and not give up.”
The Brockley boy clawed back the time, resulting in a final turn push onto the blue carpet where he overtook Wilde leaving him six seconds in arrears. He upgraded his silver from Tokyo 2020 and became a two-time Olympic gold medallist.
In the Mixed Relay, Yee gave the team a great start, producing the fastest time out of the whole field by three seconds, resulting in a tightly fought bronze by teammate Beth Potter. This was Yee’s fourth Olympic Medal, making him the most successful Olympic triathlete of all time.
Yee said: “It is my love of racing that keeps me motivated.”
The golden boy with the golden bike was victorious in the penultimate World Triathlon Championship Series event in Weihai. He finished 46 seconds clear of the rest of the field, leaving him top of the table heading into the October final.
Yee went on to finish third in Andalusia, Spain, handing him his first world title. He is only the second person in the event’s 15-year history to win Olympic Gold and the Championship Series in the same year.
At 26 years old, Yee is only at the beginning of a career which started at Crystal Palace Triathlon Club at seven years old. His rivalry with Wilde continues to excite and transcend the sport with the close finishes at Supertri and World Championship events, pushing them to new heights in the sport and setting a new bar for British Triathletes.
The Olympic Closing Ceremony Flagbearer said: “I hope I can show young people that they can be like me.”
Sports journalist Alex Lancaster-Lennox is a member of the SJA Academy – find out more about membership here.
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