Five-time Olympic cycling champion Dame Laura Kenny has won a public vote to be named BBC 5 Live Breakfast’s UK Sportswoman of the 21st Century.
Kenny was one of 15 outstanding female sportswomen shortlisted for their impact in UK sport since 2000.
Kenny has won five Olympic golds, seven world titles, and 14 European golds – making her Britain’s most decorated female cyclist.
Beyond sport, she has championed maternity support and childcare, equal prize money, and increased investment in women’s cycling.
The vote was held online from 25-29 August 2025.
Former Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill came second, followed by England footballer Lucy Bronze – a two-time European Championship winner.
Who was on the shortlist?
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Nicola Adams
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Rebecca Adlington
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Maggie Alphonsi
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Lucy Bronze
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Charlotte Edwards
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Jessica Ennis-Hill
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Katherine Grainger
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Tanni Grey-Thompson
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Kelly Holmes
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Laura Kenny
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Ellen MacArthur
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Kate Richardson-Walsh
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Ellie Simmonds
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Sarah Storey
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Chrissie Wellington
Shortlisting criteria and judges
The shortlisted sportswomen were selected from a longlist of more than 180 athletes from more than 50 different sports. The criteria for inclusion on this longlist was both outstanding achievement within their sport and making a significant contribution to women’s sport.
The individual must also have participated in their sport as a player/athlete from the year 2000 onwards.
From the longlist, a panel of judges shortlisted the 15 women above.
The panellists included BBC 5 live broadcasters Eleanor Oldroyd, Jeanette Kwakye and Sonja McLaughlan, BBC Sport’s women’s sport reporter Jo Currie, Stephanie Hilborne (CEO Women in Sport), Paula Dunn (head coach GB Para-athletics), Montell Douglas (former GB sprinter and Gladiator), JJ Chalmers (broadcaster and Invictus games medallist), Riya Mannu (Birmingham City WFC) and Penny Briscoe (director of sport, Paralympics GB).