Kenny wins UK Sportswoman of the 21st Century vote

Five-time Olympic cycling champion Dame Laura Kenny has won a public vote to be named BBC 5 Live Breakfast's UK Sportswoman of the 21st Century.

Kenny was one of 15 outstanding female sportswomen shortlisted for their impact in UK sport since 2000.

She won five Olympic golds, seven world titles, and 14 European golds - making her Britain's most decorated female cyclist.

Beyond sport, she has championed maternity support and childcare, equal prize money, and increased investment in women's cycling.

Kenny told 5 Live Breakfast: "I'm genuinely shocked. I can't believe it. Thanks for everyone that voted."

Former Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill came second, followed by England footballer Lucy Bronze - a two-time European Championship winner.

And Kenny paid glowing tributes to both.

"When they asked if I would come on this morning, I was like, 'Oh, I'm going to look down at what everyone else has achieved'," she said.

"I thought Lucy would win. The way the Lionesses have just grown in confidence, grown in ability, grown in the way that they present themselves to the outer world to inspire the next generation has been absolutely unbelievable.

"Sat here today holding [daughter] Lily, what those Lionesses have done for her journey, I can only be thankful for, because ultimately they have put women's sport right in the spotlight.

"I want to sit here and thank the Lionesses, but also - from a very personal level - Jessica Ennis-Hill has always been an idol to me, not just in the sporting world, but in the way that she kind of adopted me, I guess, as another mother trying to compete and trying to go for another Olympic Games.

"And the support and the experience and even the training sessions in the gym that she gave me. I wouldn't be sat here today with five gold medals if it wasn't for the help that she actually gave me and that is what I love about women's sport - the fact that we are always there for each other."

The vote was held online from 25-29 August 2025.

The shortlisted sportswomen were selected from a longlist of more than 180 athletes from more than 50 different sports. The criteria for inclusion on this longlist was both outstanding achievement within their sport and making a significant contribution to women's sport.

The individual must also have participated in their sport as a player/athlete from the year 2000 onwards.

From the longlist, a panel of judges shortlisted the 15 women above.

The panellists included BBC 5 live broadcasters Eleanor Oldroyd, Jeanette Kwakye and Sonja McLaughlan, BBC Sport's women's sport reporter Jo Currie, Stephanie Hilborne (CEO Women in Sport), Paula Dunn (head coach GB Para-athletics), Montell Douglas (former GB sprinter and Gladiator), JJ Chalmers (broadcaster and Invictus games medallist), Riya Mannu (Birmingham City WFC) and Penny Briscoe (director of sport, Paralympics GB).