Live coverage on Sky Sports Mix, Sky Sports Arena and Sky Sports Main Event from 8pm on Thursday October 26
Tuesday 24 October 2017 11:18, UK
It's been a fabulous year for women's sport and we are profiling the contenders for the four main prizes, including the 2017 Vitality Team of the Year.
On Thursday night, the sporting world will celebrate a memorable 2017 for British female sport at the 30th Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards in association with Vitality.
With voting now closed, there are seven categories for which the prizes will be handed out. As well as recognising the achievements on the field, the awards celebrate the outstanding contribution to sport made by elite athletes, coaches, administrators, community volunteers and inspirational women.
Here we run the rule over the five contenders for the Vitality Team of the Year...
Mark Robinson's side completed a thrilling comeback at a sold-out Lord's to beat India by nine runs and claim the Women's Cricket World Cup for a third time.
England set a target of 228 with Natalie Sciver (51) top scoring in what was the second highest total in a Women's World Cup final.
With India looking set for victory at 191-3, bowler Anya Shrubsole trapped Punam Raut lbw for 86, sparking a collapse of seven wickets for 28 runs.
Shrubsole took 6-46 - the best figures in a World Cup final - as India were bowled out for 219 with eight balls to spare and England ended an eight-year wait for a global trophy having lost the 2016 World T20 semi-final to Australia in India.
England had lost their opening game to India by 35 runs but they responded by winning their next six matches, including against defending champions Australia, to top the group. They then beat South Africa in the semi-finals before their victory in the final.
Having won the Women's Six Nations Championship and with it claimed a Grand Slam, England went on to reach the final of the women's World Cup where they were beaten by New Zealand in August.
The Red Roses relinquished the trophy won in 2014 as the Black Ferns ran in seven tries in Belfast in a thrilling 41-32 victory that saw New Zealand crowned world champions for a record fifth time.
Earlier in the year, a first Six Nations Grand Slam since 2012 saw England score 216 points, including 36 tries, across the five matches with 63-0 and 64-0 wins overs Wales and Scotland respectively.
All this was achieved amid a backdrop for a large portion of the squad that would see their contracts not renewed by the Rugby Football Union who had controversially decided that, irrespective of the World Cup result, the XVs deals would not be extended with the focus on building a sevens teams ahead of the Commonwealth Games, Rugby World Cup Sevens and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Only 17 sevens contracts were offered and several of the World Cup runners-up had to return to their day jobs in sectors as diverse as policing, the fire services, education and sports development.
Notably, loosehead prop Vickii Cornborough returned to her role as a Business development manager. Fly-half Amber Reed is a PE teacher, while the captain Sarah Hunter remains as a University rugby development officer.
Britain's relay sprinters won a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in August in front of a delighted London Stadium.
In the final of the 4x100m, the quartet of Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita crossed the line in 42.12 seconds as the United States took gold in a world-leading 41.82secs.
The Brits held off Jamaica by 0.07secs to secure second place and upgrade their Olympic bronze to World Championship silver sandwiched between Mo Farah's second place in the 5,000m and the outstanding gold medal for the British men's 4x100m team.
The squad, which has an average age of 22, had set the British record of 41.77sec in Rio and while their time in London was not as quick, their reward was an improvement for a year of hard work and dedication.
Not to be outdone, Britain's best female 400m runners followed their 100m counterparts with another silver medal at the World Athletics Championships.
The quartet of Zoey Clark, Laviai Nielsen, Eilidh Doyle and Emily Diamond finished second in 3:25.00, edging out Poland to claim second place behind the Americans.
In an event where success has been a regular feature for the squad, a superb silver sits alongside podium places in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015.
For the experienced Doyle it was the 16th medal of her international career, making her Scotland's most decorated track and field athlete and rounding of a memorable championships where she was the team captain.
In the sunshine of Orlando, a team from Wales made up of both able and disabled cheerleaders, won gold in the ParaCheer Freestyle Pom at the ICU World Cheer Championships in May.
A quarter of the team had physical disabilities and it was the first time ParaCheer teams had competed at world level.
Team Wales had only begun recruiting dancers at the end of 2016 and many of the members had had no prior experience of competing inclusively in a major competition.
"It has been a game-changing year for women's sport and throughout 2017, Sky has been covering fantastic team and individual successes across our channels.<p>"Our support of women's sport has never been stronger and we are looking forward to broadcasting SWOTY and celebrating the achievements of this year's sporting stars."
You can watch coverage of the Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards in association with Vitality on Thursday from 8pm with live coverage underway on Sky Sports Mix, Sky Sports Arena and Sky Sports Main Event
