Cyclist Rachel Atherton named 'Action Sportsperson of the Year 2017'

Cyclist Rachel Atherton was crowned as the Laureus 'Action Sportsperson of the Year' at a ceremony in Monaco.

Atherton, who lives and trains near Machynlleth, became the first rider in history to win every round of the UCI Downhill World Cup series in 2016, and became world champion for the fourth time.

The awards ceremony is described as the 'Oscars meets Grammys' for the sporting world

The 'Actions Sports Award' goes to “the sportsman or sportswoman who best demonstrates supreme athletic performance and achievement in action sports in the qualifying year”.

Among the winners were eight-time Olympic sprint champion Bolt and four-time Olympic gold gymnast Biles for their achievements in 2016.