Tipperary jockey Rachel Blackmore has been named RTE’s Sportsperson of the Year 2021. Rachel had become the first woman to win at the Cheltenham Festival after bringing six winners home last march. The 32-year-old had also won Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle of the festival which is also the first time ever for a woman.
Rachel’s voyage didn’t end there and she continued to thrive to the victory again in April by becoming the first woman to win the Grand National, steering home Minella Times at Aintree.
The finalists for the RTE award this year were Kellie Harrington, Ellen Keane, Cian Lynch, Leona Maguire, Jason Smyth, Katie Taylor and Vikki Wall along with Rachel.
Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu was named Young Sportsperson of the year. Gavin Bazunu showed real talent on the field including a super goal save in the Ireland- Portugal match in Luxembourg and that shot was from the star player Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ireland’s lightweight rowing head coach Dominic Casey was named Manager of the Year who led Irish team to have impressive performances in both the European Championships and the Tokyo Olympics.
Tokyo Paralympians Katie George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal were voted Team of the Year who brought two gold and a silver from Tokyo to home.
World cross country champion, Olympic silver medallist and soon-to-be-retiring Sport Ireland chief executive John Treacy was inducted to the RTE Sport Hall of Fame.