Nominations have just been announced for The Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards 2008, which will take place at Lord’s Cricket Ground on Thursday February 12, 2009.

Ten awards will be presented at the event. The nominations were submitted online (www.timesonline.co.uk/sportswomen) by Sunday Times readers over the course of four weeks. The winners will be announced on the day and will be chosen by a prestigious judging panel chaired by BBC 5 Live sports broadcaster Eleanor Oldroyd.

The panel also includes Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, sports broadcaster Jill Douglas, Head of Policy at UK Sport Amanda Bennett, Head of Insight and Innovation of Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation Cassie Smith , Executive Director of Communications and Public Affairs for Sport England Caroline Weber, Chair of the Amateur Rowing Association Di Ellis, TV presenter and former modern pentathlete Kathy Tayler, Innovations Manager at The Youth Sport Trust Jenny Rouse, representative for the Association for Physical Education (afPE) Elizabeth Murdoch, Sky Sports News presenter Vicky Gomersall and Olympic bronze medallist Kate Allenby.

The nominees are:

Sportswoman of the Year

Nicole Cooke (Road cycling)
Victoria Pendleton (Track cycling)
Hayley Turner (Horseracing)

Team of the Year

England women’s cricket team
England women’s rugby union team
Yngling sailing crew (Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson)

Olympian of the Year

Rebecca Adlington (Swimming)
Christine Ohuruogu (Athletics)
Rebecca Romero (Track cycling)

Paralympian of the Year

Sophie Christiansen (Equestrianism)
Heather Frederiksen (Swimming)
Eleanor Simmonds (Swimming)

Unsung Hero Award

Wendy Coles (Administrator at the Amateur Swimming Association)
Amanda Kirby (Gymnastics coach)
Sheila Plant (President of the Southern Counties Hockey Association)

PE Teacher of the Year

Esther Amery (Toynbee School, Eastleigh, Hampshire)
Cheryl Buckley (Baxter College, Kidderminster, Worcestershire)
Karen Griffiths (St. Bernard’s Catholic High School, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria)

Young Sportswoman of the Year

Rachel Atherton (Downhill mountain bike racing)
Holly Colvin (Cricket)
Kirsty McWilliam (Triathlon)
Laura Robson (Tennis)
Zoe Smith (Weightlifting)

Community Club Volunteer Award

Laura Cotton (Teacher and lifeguard at Deben swimming club)
Janet Kidd (Football coach of Oxford City Casuals)
Kay Stokes (Coach at Cleveland Triathlon Club)

Other awards to be presented during the day are The Helen Rollason Award for Inspiration and Sponsorship of the Year.

Alex Butler, Sports Editor of The Sunday Times, says: “These Awards were established 21 years ago, but I don’t think over that time we’ve ever had such a wealth of talent to choose from. 2008 was a fantastic year for British women’s sport, and everything is building nicely for 2012. The Sunday Times is honoured to have such an impressive line-up of nominees.”

The event is in association with David Lloyd Leisure and is also being sponsored by Sport England, UK Sport, and CCPR. The Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation is also lending its support and is the event’s charity partner.

For further information, please contact Mary Fulton on 07702 421167 or email mary.fulton@townhousepublicity.co.uk

To book a table at The Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards 2008, please call 0207 782 5718 or email sportswomenawards@sunday-times.co.uk .