Gannon the first among equals

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD: Annual sports awards are normally a familiar deal. You get the same faces, the same tributes, usually they're contesting the same accolade. Yesterday's Sportswoman of the Year awards changed all that.

Jointly sponsored by The Irish Times and Mitsubishi Electric, the monthly winners for 2004 where honoured at the Mansion House in Dublin to celebrate not just another memorable year in Irish sport, but specifically a memorable year in Irish women's sport.

It was, as anticipated, a unique occasion. Something that was perhaps long overdue. It culminated with the first overall Sportswoman of the Year award, which went to jockey Cathy Gannon. The first women from either Britain or Ireland to be named apprentice jockey of the year, Gannon's selection was particularly fitting, with her chosen sport normally the preserve of men.

While primarily being recognised as special amongst her peers, Gannon's achievements over the past year also epitomised the very essence of the awards. Horse racing is rarely acknowledged as a sport where women can, and often do, compete with the very best men. What Gannon has done over the past year has quite simply changed the face of horse racing, with her award also helping put her achievements into proper perspective - and gaining rightful recognition.

"I'm just amazed to have won this," said Gannon, who now works with champion trainer John Oxx, and later today heads to America for the next stage of her development as a truly world class jockey. "In fact I was delighted just to be here."

Although her family background was positively void of interest in horse racing, Gannon displayed a love of ponies from an early age, and a fearless desire to be the best in her chosen sport: "I do want to reach the same playing field as the men," she added. "Some girls wouldn't like that compliment, but I want to be as strong and as fit as any lad."

Nine different sports were represented among the 12 monthly winners, with only athletics providing the repeated sport. Middle distance runner Azmera Gebrezgi was the first recipient of the monthly award last January, and she set the trend for a truly diverse range of winners - from basketball to bowls, and from hockey to squash.

And though it was the first year of such an awards programme, it would have been hard to imagine it without the presence of Sonia O'Sullivan. Although 2004 was far from her most memorable year, her Olympic 5,000-metre final in Athens last August remains one of the poignant moments in the history of Irish sport. Yet O'Sullivan won her monthly award in May after a series of impressive runs in her build up to Athens. Currently training in Australia, her award was accepted by Athletics Ireland high-performance director Elaine Fitzgerald.

Only one other monthly award recipient, August winner Jessica Kurten, was unable to attend yesterday's ceremony, as she is competing at an equestrian event in Austria. The 10 other winners were present, each accepting a specially commissioned statue from the President, Mrs Mary McAleese,

"We're on the road. We've started the journey," the President said. "Women's enthusiasm for sports has never been in doubt but full and fair recognition of their worth has been slower to materialise. It is heartening to see that changing and though there is a long way yet to go, these awards are terrific vindication of the work done week in and week out to promote woman in sport."

The Editor of The Irish Times, Geraldine Kennedy, delivered a particularly heartfelt speech on the achievements of the 12 monthly winners:

"These awards winners represent excellence in all their chosen sports," said the Editor. "Their training, dedication and ambition is no different to their male counterparts and, in many cases, their achievement in getting to the top of their chosen sport is even greater because of the imbalance in funding and coverage of women's sport."

All the monthly winners and the overall winner were selected by a panel of four: Irish Times journalist Mary Hannigan, RTÉ's Greg Allen, Lindie Naughton from the Evening Herald, and Ronan Ó Coisdealbha of TG4 Sport.