Aylesbury World Champion Jessica Gadirova named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2022

Jessica Gadirova the World Champion gymnast who lives and trains in Aylesbury has been named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2022.

Yesterday evening (21 December), she was crowned the champion at the 2022 year-ending showcase ahead of teenage skateboarder Sky Brown, and diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix.

At just 18 years old, Jessica was also up for the senior BBC Sports Personality of The Year award too, having been named as one of six finalists on Tuesday (20 December).

Ultimately Beth Mead took the prize, the Arsenal attacker sparkled at England’s historic Euro 2022 championship win.

Beth played a vital role in England’s first major competition triumph since 1966, she was named Player of the Tournament, was the top assist provider and scored more goals than anyone else during her nation’s major breakthrough on home soil.

Ben Stokes, the 2019 winner, was the runner-up for his role revitalising England’s Test Cricket Team as captain.

Skipper of the Team GB curling squad that claimed an Olympic Gold Medal, Eve Muirhead, finished third in the public vote.

Seven-time snooker World Champion, Ronnie O’Sullivan, and 1,500 Metres World Champion, Jake Wightman, were the other shortlisted finalists.

Jessica received major recognition at the prestigious BBC sports showcase after enjoying a historic year of success in gymnastics.

She built on her star-making performance at the 2020 Olympics with her twin sister, Jennifer, by making more history at this year’s World Championships in Liverpool.

The 18-year-old phenomenon was the overall winner of the floor exercise becoming only the fifth British World Champion in gymnastics.

She was also third in the all-round competition, making her the first ever woman to medal in this category at a World Championship.

And was part of a squad that claimed a Silver medal in the team competition at the Liverpool Arena

Of course last year, both Gadirova sisters starred in a Team GB squad that captured the country’s first medal in the team category for 93 years.

She trains at the Lynx Gymnastics Centre in Aylesbury and both her and her sister have buses travelling to and from town named in their honour.