Laureus World Sports Awards
British athlete Kelly Holmes poses for photographers with the World Sportswoman of the Year award.
At 34 and the oldest woman in the field, Holmes, after a career dogged by injuries and disappointments, won the 800 metres and 1,500 metres Olympic gold medals in Athens, a feat only ever achieved by two women (Tatyana Kazankina in 1976 and Svetlana Masterkova in 1996) before.
It was one of the greatest achievements in Olympic history, made even more satisfying for Holmes who has suffered an agonising series of near-misses in her career.
She was squeezed out of the medals with fourth place in the 800 metres at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics after suffering a stress fracture. Injury also ruined her bid for the 1997 World Championship 1,500 metres, and many wondered if her best chance of a gold medal had gone as bronze in the 800 metres in the Sydney Olympics was followed by silver in the same event in the 2003 World Championships.
Fellow nominees had included Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova and top women's golfer Annika Sorenstam.
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