Sports personality of the year: Anja Pärson
Sweden's leading skier Anja Pärson has become the first athlete ever to win newspaper Svenska Dagbladet's gold medal for sporting achievement two years running.
The jury explained that it had chosen to award Pärson the prize on the basis of her "fantastic harvest of medals at the World Chapionships in Åre - an exceptional feat."
A press conference was held in Stockholm at 1pm to announce the winner of this year's gold medal. Pärson, who is currently in the United States, received a phone call at 5am local time to notify her of her second successive victory.
"I'm very proud. It feels fantastic," she said.
Pärson's stunning gold run in Åre led to her becoming the first woman skier to win gold in all five disciplines.
Performing flawlessly in the blue riband event of the downhill, Pärson added the elusive gold in the only discipline missing from her world championships collection.
Pärson's phenomenal display in the World Championships - winning the super-G, the super-combined and the downhill - left her with a total of seven world titles. She claimed her first in the slalom in 2001, and in 2003 she secured the giant slalom gold.
In 2005 she won the slalom again, and also won her first speed event gold in the super-G.
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The jury explained that it had chosen to award Pärson the prize on the basis of her "fantastic harvest of medals at the World Chapionships in Åre - an exceptional feat."
A press conference was held in Stockholm at 1pm to announce the winner of this year's gold medal. Pärson, who is currently in the United States, received a phone call at 5am local time to notify her of her second successive victory.
"I'm very proud. It feels fantastic," she said.
Pärson's stunning gold run in Åre led to her becoming the first woman skier to win gold in all five disciplines.
Performing flawlessly in the blue riband event of the downhill, Pärson added the elusive gold in the only discipline missing from her world championships collection.
Pärson's phenomenal display in the World Championships - winning the super-G, the super-combined and the downhill - left her with a total of seven world titles. She claimed her first in the slalom in 2001, and in 2003 she secured the giant slalom gold.
In 2005 she won the slalom again, and also won her first speed event gold in the super-G.
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