Sam Bennett has not made the shortlist for the RTE Sportsperson of the Year Awards 2019.
The Carrick-on-Suir man, who was one of the most
successful professional cyclists in the world this year, had been included in
the long list of 26 announced last week.
He was on that long list with Lydia Boylan who won
Ireland’s first silver medal at the World Track Championships in five years; in
the points race in Poland.
Also on the long list were the Golden Girls; Katie George
Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal. They won TT gold at the World Paracycling Road
Championships this year.
Only one para-athlete makes the 10-person short list
which has been announced today; Jason Smyth who won his eighth world title on
the running track this year, in the 100 metres.
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While Boylan, Dunlevy and McCrystal were all worthy
nominees on the long list, the competition to make the final 10-person
shortlist was intense given the standard.
However, considering Sam Bennett was so successful this
year it is incredible he failed to make the final 10.
He was beaten onto the list by others who play Gaelic
Games and those who made international finals and ran personal best times
rather than won major events, as Bennett has done.
He took 13 victories including two stages at the Vuelta
in what was his most successful season ever.
The winner from
the final list of 10 nominees, below, will be selected by a 12-person judging
panel.
Darragh Maloney and Joanne Cantwell will present the RTÉ Sport Awards 2019 live on RTÉ One next Saturday, December 14th, at 9.20pm.
RTE Sportsperson of Year: 10 shortlisted
SEAMUS CALLANAN
He was the All-Ireland winning captain with Tipperary and
was named Hurler of the Year’.
STEPHEN CLUXTON
Dublin legend Cluxton captained the Dubs to their fifth
All Ireland title in a row and he was also named Footballer of the Year.
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NIAMH KILKENNY
The Galway camogie player is Camogie Association-WGPA
Senior Players’ Player of the Year and won the All Ireland this year for the
third time.
SHANE LOWRY
The pro golfer from Offaly won the Open’s Claret Jug in
Portrush and the Abu Dhabi Championship.
CIARA MAGEEAN
Ran a personal best in the 1500m final at the Athletics
World Championships in Doha, finishing in 10th place and won bronze in the
European indoors.
RHYS McCLENAGHAN
Became the first Irish gymnast event to win a medal at
the Worlds, taking pommel horse bronze in Germany.
DENISE O’SULLIVAN
Republic of Ireland soccer player helped North Carolina
Courage to the National Women’s Soccer League title in the USA and was named
Ireland Women’s Senior International Player of the Year.
SANITA PUSPURE
Retained her women’s single sculls gold medal at the
Rowing World Championships. Also won gold in the single sculls event at the
Europeans in a new European record.
JASON SMYTH
The para-athlete claimed his eighth World Para-Athletics Championships
gold medal, winning the 100m in the T13 class.
KATIE TAYLOR
Unified all four world lightweight titles and became a two-weight champion but also claiming the WBO super lightweight crown.
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