Nicole Cooke, the Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist, was announced this afternoon as the Sportswoman of the Year for 2008 at the prestigious Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards ceremony held in the Nursery Pavilion at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.

In front of an audience of more than 250 people – which included host Jill Douglas, the guest of honour Samantha Cameron, the wife of the Conservative Party Leader David Cameron, Dame Kelly Holmes, Olympics minister Tessa Jowell, minister for sport Gerry Sutcliffe and former rugby union internationals Lawrence Dallaglio and Jeremy Guscott – the 25-year-old Welsh rider was recognised for her outstanding season in which she first experienced success in the road race in Beijing in August, on day two of the Olympic Games. By overcoming appalling weather conditions in China, amid the stunning backdrop of the Great Wall of China, Cooke made up for her disappointment of Athens four years previously to become the first Welsh Olympic champion since horseman Richard Meade won individual and team awards in the three-day event at the 1972 Munich Games.

And then, seven weeks later, while most Olympians were either relaxing or enjoying the financial rewards of their achievements across the country, Cooke was back in training and back on her bike at the world road race championships at Varese in Italy. Her exceptional triumph there meant that she is the first cyclist, male or female, to achieve this unique double, and the only the sixth Briton, male or female, professional or amateur, to win the senior road race title.

Cooke, who attended the event with her mother Denise, said: "I am very grateful and proud of it. It has been going for 21 years, which is incredible. There are a lot of fantastic past champions and I am proud to receive it from The Sunday Times as, in 2001, seven years ago, when I was a junior, the newspaper wrote an article about me. So they do show interest in the whole of women's sport not just at the highest level but the people on their way up. I am very grateful for all the support the writers have given me over the years."

Victoria Pendleton, the Olympic and world sprint champion, who was the winner of the main award in 2007, finished runner-up. In third place was leading flat racing jockey Hayley Turner, who became the first woman to ride 100 winners in the calendar year. Sadly, she was unable to attend as she was competing at Kempton racecourse.

The Awards, which were in association with David Lloyd Leisure, are among the most prestigious and influential in the British sporting calendar. As well as celebrating high-profile athletes – previous winners include Paula Radcliffe, Pippa Funnell, Kelly Holmes and Zara Phillips – the event recognises women at all levels of British sporting life including administrators working tirelessly behind the scenes, and those coaches, community club volunteers and PE teachers nurturing future talent.

Among of the many winners today was Rebecca Adlington, winner of two Olympic gold medals in the Water Cube last summer, who was presented with the UK Sport Olympian of the Year, while 14-year-old Eleanor Simmonds, Britain’s youngest Paralympic gold medalist, was given the Paralympian of the Year accolade. Laura Robson was also a winner, receiving the MCC young Sportswoman of the Year following her outstanding victory on Court One in the Wimbledon girls’ title last July.

There was also recognition for our leading teams. The England women’s cricket team beat strong competition from their rugby union counterparts and the Yngling sailing trio of Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson to win the coveted Team of the Year trophy. The cricketers had memorably beaten Australia in Bowral in the one-off Test match last February and, while the majority of the team had already returned Down Under, in preparation for next month’s ICC World Cup finals, four of them were available today to receive the award – Claire Taylor, Ebony Rainford-Brent, Katherine Brunt and Sarah Taylor.

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.”

Full list of winners at the 2008 Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards, in association with David Lloyd Leisure

The Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year: Nicole Cooke

Team of the Year: England Women’s Cricket Team

WSFF Sponsorship of the Year: The Co-operative

Sport England Community Club Volunteer Award: Kay Stokes

Paralympian of the Year: Eleanor Simmonds

CCPR Unsung Hero Award: Wendy Coles

The Helen Rollason Award for Inspiration: Julie Shard

MCC Young Sportswoman of the Year: Laura Robson

David Lloyd Leisure PE Teacher of the Year: Cheryl Buckley

UK Sport Olympian of the Year: Rebecca Adlington