RACHAEL BLACKMORE’S RECORD-breaking achievements in 2021 have been rewarded with a nomination in the World Sport Star category at this month’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.
Blackmore, who is the bookies’ favourite for the prize, will be up against some of the biggest names in world sport such as tennis superstar Novak Djokovic and American football great Tom Brady.
The 32-year-old Tipperary native secured her place in racing history when she became the first woman to be crowned leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival with six winners, which included the Champion Hurdle on Honeysuckle.
However, she took her fame, and achievements, to new heights when becoming the first female to win the Grand National on Minella Times in April, garnering international attention in the following days.
Other nominees include boxer Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, Formula One star Max Verstappen and Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah.
Voting has already opened and will close at 1pm on 14 December, with the winner announced in the live show on 19 December.
The nominees for World Sport Star at BBC Sports Personality of the Year are:
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 6, 2021
⭐ Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez
⭐ Rachael Blackmore
⭐ Tom Brady
⭐ Novak Djokovic
⭐ Elaine Thompson-Herah
⭐ Max Verstappen
Vote & T&Cs 👇
Voting closes at 1300 GMT on Tuesday 14 December 2021#SPOTY
Rightly so. With all due respect to Katie Taylor, Shane Lowry, Tadhg Furlong, Paul O’Donovan or anyone else you could name, Blackmore is the greatest Irish sportsperson of the current era.
@Eoin Roche: So according to you to be the greatest sports person of the current era one has to race a horse.
@Leonard Barry: No, they have to be a rugby ball, or a fibreglass boat. Do keep up Leonard.
@Eoin Roche: I think it’s open to more than Irish legends..smiley face,smiley face…..
Simply the Best ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rachael Blackmore.
Sports Star & Incredible Inspirational Role Model.
Where’s Origi ?
@Daniel: where he always is, on the bench
Genuinely a little surprised they recognised that she isn’t British.
@Cian Nolan: absolutely agree.
A legend.
Well deserved. What she’s done for Irish racing and women in sport is phenomenal.
Can’t vote in Ireland Bummer
Girl is a legend, comes across as so genuine + down to earth also.
Let’s see… Djokovic will get the anti-vaxxer votes, Verstappen will get the vote of the racists who can’t handle Hamilton’s success… the others will garner the votes of the adherents of their respective sports. The voting page is geo-blocked but any semi decent vpn can con the site into thinking a voter is in the uk.