Voting has closed for SJA members to decide the winners of three major categories at the 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 Dan Robertshaw
Paris 2024 was another highly successful Paralympics for Great Britain.
Finishing second overall, the ParalympicsGB team took home 124 medals, 49 of which were gold. Young talent burst onto the world stage to take forward the baton as old heads gracefully bowed out – and there, at the centre of it all, as usual, was Dame Sarah Storey.
Storey’s family watched on with pride as, medalling at her ninth Games, the cyclist cemented her place as Britain’s most decorated Paralympian. The night before Storey won her 18th all-time gold, her daughter Louisa told her mother that this would be the first Paralympics she would remember.
Despite being spurred on by her daughter’s words, Storey would have already known them to be true. She is, after all, something of a seasoned veteran.
Her Paralympic success stretches back to Barcelona 1992, where she won a total of five medals including two golds – a full 21 years before Louisa was born.
Then only 14 years old and competing in an entirely different sport – swimming – Storey went on to medal in multiple events at the next four successive Games, before making the switch to cycling in time for London 2012.
Just as in the pool, Storey’s excellence instantly showed on the bike.
She brought in another 12 medals at her next four Paralympics, competing across track, road and time trial events.
So great was her dominance in para-cycling during this period, she decided to broaden her ambition and compete in able-bodied events.
True to form, she became six-time British national track champion in the able-bodied category, winning two pursuit titles, one points title, and three team pursuit titles.
So extensive is Storey’s success that it is perhaps best summarised in figures.
She has broken 77 world records and won 30 Paralympic medals, 19 of them gold, across a career spanning 32 years.
During this time, she has had two children with her husband Barney and recovered from numerous injuries.
Storey’s medal tally has never shown signs of slowing down, and having bagged another two golds in the C5 time trial and C4-5 road race in Paris, neither has she.
With Los Angeles 2028 beckoning, Storey, 46, has reportedly not ruled out competing, but for now is happy to savour her success and spend time with her family.
In terms of sporting achievement, Dame Sarah has had many a remarkable year.
Her previous nomination for the SJA British Sports Awards would have been entirely justified; she has consistently demonstrated superior talent, athleticism and determination throughout her staggeringly long career, dominating countless competitions and categories in two different sports.
However, with Paris ushering in her reign as Britain’s most successful Paralympian, 2024 must be the most remarkable year of them all.
Sports journalist Dan Robertshaw is a member of the SJA Academy – find out more about membership here.
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