IRISH JOURNALIST DAVID Walsh was named Journalist of the Year and Sports Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards ceremony last night.

The Sunday Times reporter was given the honour for his coverage of the Lance Armstrong doping saga, with the athlete ultimately exposed as a drugs cheat, and being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles this year.

Following the announcement, a representative for the judges said:

“David Walsh became a pariah for years in his chosen sport in order to get to the truth of this story.

“He pursued it and pursued it.The US Anti-Doping Agency would never have taken Armstrong on if it hadn’t been for David Walsh.

“It was a fine example of great investigative journalism.”

The representative added: “This year will go down in history as one of the greatest ever for British sport.

“So the judges thought it was particularly fitting that the pre-eminent candidate for overall journalist of the year was a sports journalist.

“David Walsh’s investigation into doping by Lance Armstrong was great news story, not just a great story, it was huge.

“His 13-year investigation was dogged, determined and brave. He could have lost everything but persisted against the odds.”

Walsh has now emulated the feat of his Sunday Times colleague Hugh McIlvanney, who had previously been the only sports reporter to be named both Journalist of the Year and Sports Journalist of the Year.

For a full list of winners at the British Journalism Awards, click here>

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