As portion of nan BBC's ceremony of women's athletics this summer, BBC 5 Live Breakfast is asking you to ballot for your UK sportswoman of nan 21st Century.
From Olympic and Paralympic champions to legends connected nan pitch, a shortlist of exceptional athletes has been drawn up to observe nan women who person made nan biggest effect successful UK athletics since 2000.
A sheet of master judges considered a raft of names crossed much than 50 different sports. Now, we want you to determine which jock deserves nan title of UK sportswoman of nan 21st Century.
Below you tin publication astir each of nan contenders, and ballot for your apical three.
The ballot opens astatine 06:00 BST connected Monday, 25 August and closes astatine 10:00 BST connected Friday, 29 August.
Nicola Adams - boxing
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Won Olympic golden successful 2012 and 2016 - becoming nan first female boxer to claim, past retain, nan title. Undefeated arsenic a professional, she won nan WBO flyweight title successful 2019. A vocal advocator for equality and LGBTQ+ representation, she was appointed an OBE successful 2016 for services to boxing.
Rebecca Adlington - swimming
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Claimed double Olympic golden successful 2008, 2 bronze medals successful 2012 and is simply a erstwhile 800m freestyle world grounds holder. She founded a UK-wide aquatics programme for children, advocates for youth-sport entree and consciousness of body-image issues successful elite sport. In 2009 she was appointed an OBE.
Maggie Alphonsi - rugby union
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Among England's astir capped-forwards and was portion of nan World Cup-winning squad of 2014. She advocates for salary equity, challenges gender stereotypes and has founded a activity academy to empower young girls done sport. Was appointed an MBE successful 2012 for services to rugby.
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A five-time Champions League winner, 2020 Fifa Player of nan Year and pivotal successful England's European Championship successes successful 2022 and 2025. Has spoken retired astir online maltreatment faced by female athletes, her ADHD, and nan urgent request for much investigation into injuries successful women's sport. Was appointed an MBE successful 2023.
Charlotte Edwards - cricket
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England's all-time starring run-scorer successful women's one-day internationals. Captained England to World Cup and nan World Twenty20 triumph successful 2009. Won nan Ashes 3 times arsenic captain. Off nan field, she has championed master contracts and mentored to young players. In 2009, she was made an MBE for services to cricket.
Jessica Ennis-Hill - athletics
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Won heptathlon golden astatine nan 2012 London Olympics and metallic astatine Rio 2016, and is simply a European and three-time world champion. Shortly aft her status successful 2016, she was made a dame for her services to athletics and sports. She now advocates for women's wellness successful sport.
Katherine Grainger - rowing
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Britain's astir dressed up female Olympic rower - winning metallic medals successful 2000, 2004, 2008, 2016 and golden successful 2012, arsenic good arsenic 8 World Championship medals and 4 world titles. She now chairs UK Sport, became nan British Olympic Association first female chair successful 2025 and was precocious awarded a peerage.
Tanni Grey-Thompson - Para-athletics
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Won 11 Paralympic golds - and 16 medals successful full - crossed 5 Games from 1992 to 2004, and group aggregate world records. Now a adjacent successful nan House of Lords, she champions disablement rights, accessible facilities, adjacent opportunities, and greater backing for female and abnormal athletes.
Kelly Holmes - athletics
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Won Olympic golden successful nan 800m and 1500m astatine Athens 2004, and bronze astatine Sydney 2000. Also a Commonwealth Games golden medallist and won 3 World Championship outdoor medals. She now advocates for intelligence health, LGBTQ+ rights, and young group via her charity, and was made a dame successful 2005.
Laura Kenny - cycling
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Won 5 Olympic golds, 7 world titles, and 14 European golds - making her Britain's astir dressed up female cyclist. Beyond sport, she champions maternity support, childcare, adjacent prize money, and accrued finance successful women's cycling. She was besides appointed a CBE successful 2017.
Ellen MacArthur - sailing
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In 2005, she group nan solo non-stop circumnavigation world grounds (71 days) astatine nan first attempt. Later that year, aged 28, she became nan youngest female successful modern history to beryllium made a dame. She now champions nan environment, inclusion, and women's activity globally.
Kate Richardson-Walsh - hockey
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Great Britain and England's most-capped player, she captained GB to Olympic lucky golden successful 2016 aft bronze 4 years earlier. Champions LGBTQ+ inclusion, practice of women successful coaching and leadership, mentoring, and promotes jock wellbeing. In 2017 she was appointed an OBE for services to hockey.
Ellie Simmonds - Para-swimming
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Won 2 golds astatine Beijing 2008 arsenic a 13-year-old and added 2 much astatine London 2012 and 1 astatine Rio 2016. Also an eight-time world champion who holds galore world records successful her classification. She advocates for inclusive facilities, adjacent coverage, and intelligence wellness support. Was appointed an OBE successful 2013.
Sarah Storey - Para-swimming and Para-cycling
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Britain's astir dressed up Paralympian - winning 30 medals crossed swimming and cycling successful 9 Paralympics betwixt 1992 and 2024. She besides has 38 world titles and has had occurrence successful non-disabled events too. Was made a dame successful 2012 for services to Para-cycling and is simply a visiting professor astatine Manchester Metropolitan University's Centre for Excellence for Women successful Sport.
Chrissie Wellington - Triathlon and Ironman
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The first British jock to triumph nan Ironman World Championship, which she has done 4 times. Unbeaten successful full-distance races and a erstwhile world grounds holder. Promotes women successful sport, wellbeing, inclusive fitness, and helped motorboat nan women's Tour de France. In 2016 she was appointed an OBE.
Shortlisting criteria and judges
The shortlisted sportswomen were selected from a longlist of much than 180 athletes from much than 50 different sports. The criteria for inclusion connected this longlist was some outstanding accomplishment wrong their athletics and making a important publication to women's sport.
The individual must besides person participated successful their athletics arsenic a player/athlete from nan twelvemonth 2000 onwards.
From nan longlist, a sheet of judges shortlisted nan 15 women above.
The panellists included BBC 5 unrecorded broadcasters Eleanor Oldroyd, Jeanette Kwakye and Sonja McLaughlan, BBC Sport's women's athletics newsman Jo Currie, Stephanie Hilborne (CEO Women successful 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).