Craig named Young Personality of the Year
16th December 2012
Paralympic champion Josef Craig scooped his second big prize of 2012 as he was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.
The 15-year old was the surprise package of the London 2012 Paralympics in the pool as he shaved 11 seconds off his 400m Freestyle personal best to claim a memorable gold in the S7 classification.
It was a big shock for me - it was an amazing part of my life.
Craig shocked even himself with his speed at his debut Games, breaking the world record in both the heat and final.
And after being named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year, Craig admitted it had been 12 months he would never forget.
"I want to say a big thanks to everyone involved in me getting my gold," said Craig.
"It was a big shock for me. It was an amazing part of my life.
"I want to thank my mam and dad, along with the rest of my family and friends. I also want to thank John Atkinson, the Performance Director of British Swimming and finally want to thank my friends and the staff of British Swimming."
Craig was not the only British aquatics star shortlisted for Young Sports Personality of the Year.
His teammate Jessica-Jane Applegate, was in the top three shortlist after landing S14 200m Freestyle gold on her Paralympic debut.
Meanwhile, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor was named on the top 10 shortlist after becoming the youngest swimmer to qualify for Team GB then winning her first senior international medal at the European Short Course Championships in November.
