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At long last, Rory McIlroy is the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
The Northern Irishman picked up the award on Thursday, capping a remarkable year that saw him end his agonising wait a green jacket and a career grand slam, as well as helping Team Europe to defend the Ryder Cup on U.S. soil.
– McIlroy named BBC Sports Personality of the Year winner- Chloe Kelly on BBC SPOTY: ‘Women’s sport is here to stay’
It wasn’t just a wait for McIlroy, though. Golf had to bide its time, too. Despite McIlroy’s five major triumphs over the past 14 years — and those of Danny Willett, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Darren Clarke or Graeme McDowell — the last time golf had won the SPOTY award was Nick Faldo in 1989.
But which sport has won the most times?
Which sport has won SPOTY the most?
Number of BBC SPOTY winner (by sport)
SportNumber of winsAthletics19F1 and Motor Racing9Football7Tennis7Cricket5Boxing5Cycling5Figure skating3Golf3Swimming2Eventing2Rowing1Rugby Union1Snooker1Horse racing1Show jumping1
It may surprise some given Team GB’s relative lack of success until this century, but athletics leads the way with 19 winners. Among those are athletes who delivered more recent golden moments, such as Keely Hodgkinson, Sir Mo Farah, Dame Kelly Holmes and Paula Radcliffe.
SPOTY has been awarded to F1 drivers on eight occassions — Lewis Hamilton makes up two of those. You may assume that winning the F1 title would be an assured ticket to winning sports personaltity, but that wouldn’t be quite right. James Hunt, for example, did not win after his 1976 victory. Lando Norris also missed out on Thursday, finishing third behind McIlroy and rugby star Ellie Kildunne.
Football has had its share of winners, although that number has risen in recent years with the Lionesses’ success (Mary Earps and Beth Mead won in consecutive years).
Ryan Giggs was the last male footballer to win the award in 2009.
Full list of winners:
2025 – Rory McIlroy (Golf)
2024 – Keely Hodgkinson (Athletics)
2023 – Mary Earps (Football)
2022 – Beth Mead (Football)
2021 – Emma Raducanu (Tennis)
2020 – Lewis Hamilton (Formula One)
2019 – Ben Stokes (Cricket)
2018 – Geraint Thomas (Cycling)
2017 – Mo Farah (Athletics)
2016 – Andy Murray (Tennis)
2015 – Andy Murray (Tennis)
2014 – Lewis Hamilton (Formula One)
2013 – Andy Murray (Tennis)
2012 – Bradley Wiggins (Cycling)
2011 – Mark Cavendish (Cycling)
2010 – Tony McCoy (Horse racing)
2009 – Ryan Giggs (Football)
2008 – Chris Hoy (Cycling)
2007 – Joe Calzaghe (Boxing)
2006 – Zara Phillips (Eventing)
2005 – Andrew Flintoff (Cricket)
2004 – Kelly Holmes (Athletics)
2003 – Jonny Wilkinson (Rugby union)
2002 – Paula Radcliffe (Athletics)
2001 – David Beckham (Football)
2000 – Steve Redgrave (Rowing)
1999 – Lennox Lewis (Boxing)
1998 – Michael Owen (Football)
1997 – Greg Rusedski (Tennis)
1996 – Damon Hill (Formula One)
1995 – Jonathan Edwards (Athletics)
1994 – Damon Hill (Formula One)
1993 – Linford Christie (Athletics)
1992 – Nigel Mansell (Formula One)
1991 – Liz McColgan (Athletics)
1990 – Paul Gascoigne (Football)
1989 – Nick Faldo (Golf)
1988 – Steve Davis (Snooker)
1987 – Fatima Whitbread (Athletics)
1986 – Nigel Mansell (Formula One)
1985 – Barry McGuigan (Boxing)
1984 – Torvill & Dean (Figure skating)
1983 – Steve Cram (Athletics)
1982 – Daley Thompson (Athletics)
1981 – Ian Botham (Cricket)
1980 – Robin Cousins (Figure skating)
1979 – Sebastian Coe (Athletics)
1978 – Steve Ovett (Athletics)
1977 – Virginia Wade (Tennis)
1976 – John Curry (Figure skating)
1975 – David Steele (Cricket)
1974 – Brendan Foster (Athletics)
1973 – Jackie Stewart (Formula One)
1972 – Mary Peters (Athletics)
1971 – Princess Anne (Eventing)
1970 – Henry Cooper (Boxing)
1969 – Ann Jones (Tennis)
1968 – David Hemery (Athletics)
1967 – Henry Cooper (Boxing)
1966 – Bobby Moore (Football)
1965 – Tom Simpson (Cycling)
1964 – Mary Rand (Athletics)
1963 – Dorothy Hyman (Athletics)
1962 – Anita Lonsbrough (Swimming)
1961 – Stirling Moss (Formula One)
1960 – David Broome (Show jumping)
1959 – John Surtees (Motorcycle racing)
1958 – Ian Black (Swimming)
1957 – Dai Rees (Golf)
1956 – Jim Laker (Cricket)
1955 – Gordon Pirie (Athletics)
1954 – Christopher Chataway (Athletics)
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