COCKROFT AND JOHNSON-THOMPSON NOMINATED AT 2023 SPORTSWOMEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Hannah Cockroft (coach: Paul Moseley, club: Leeds) and Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Aston Moore, Liverpool) are among the nominees for this week’s (2 November) Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards.

Cockroft, who sealed world titles number 13 and 14 during the 2023 season, is nominated for both the Sportswoman of the Year award and the Disability Sportswoman of the Year award.

Meanwhile, Johnson-Thompson, who claimed her second world title in thrilling circumstances in Budapest in August, is also listed among the nominees for the Sportswoman of the Year.

Cockroft’s imperious form continued during the 2023 season as she not only added two further world titles to her staggering collection, but she also revised her world records in all distances between 100m to 1500m in the T34 class.

In Paris this summer, the Yorkshire-born athlete won her 13^th and 14^th world title in the T34 100m and 800m in commanding style. She also raced in the heats of the 4x100m universal relay so added a silver to the collection.

The seven-time Paralympic champion continues to rewrite the record books as she lowered all of her world records across the 100m, 200, 400m, 800m and 1500m at meetings in the UAE and Switzerland earlier in the year.

The revised marks of 16.31 (100m), 28.90 (200m), 52.80 (400m), 1:44.43 (800m) and 3:21.06 (1500m) continue to take her and the sport to new heights.

There was joy for Johnson-Thompson as she won a superb second world heptathlon title following an entertaining two-days of action in August.

After winning her maiden world title in Doha back in 2019, Johnson-Thompson has experienced setbacks during that period including injury at the Tokyo Olympic Games, but she reigned supreme once again as she became only the second British woman in history to claim two world championship heptathlon titles.

Chasing home Anna Hall (USA) over 800m in the final event of the day, her personal best of 2:05.63 led to ecstatic scenes as he went back to the top of the world in stunning style.

After retaining her world title, Johnson-Thompson said: “I’ve actually got no words. I can’t believe it. It’s like being in a dream. I have been thinking about this for months and months and nobody else could see the vision apart from me and my team. I’m just so happy that it’s come true. It’s a dream come true to do it again.”

Cockroft and Johnson-Thompson will both be eyeing the showpiece award of the night, the Sportswoman of the Year, an award previously won by Eilish McColgan in 2022, as well as Dina Asher-Smith, Sally Gunnell, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and Dame Denise Lewis.

More information on the awards can be found HERE.