BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012: Bradley Wiggins captures the hearts of nation in annual awards As one of his fellow contenders, Sir Chris Hoy, had suggested, a London council estate kid going on to win the Tour de France champion rendered 'Wiggo's" performance the greatest achievement in British sports history. That was without mentioning the seven Olympic medals he has won; alongside Hoy's haul, that is the best tally by any Briton. But it was also Wiggins's idiosyncratic personality which also helped him woo us and he gave another command performance last night. Swanning onto the stage like a Mod icon to the cheers of thousands, he joshed with one presenter "Susan" Barker, congratulated another, Gary Lineker, on the team behind his make-up and then, sounding as if he had enjoyed a couple at the bar, he announced: "I feel a bit embarrassed because so many other people played a part in this sporting year, and I don't say that just to brown nose everybody. It really was incredible. Olympic fever was in the air all over again and to recognise "such extraordinary achievement" across so many sports, the awards voting panel, including former SPOTY nominees and experts in the media, even overrode their own judging criteria to ensure the Team of the Year award went to Britain's entire 2012 Olympic and Paralympic squads. Under the judging criteria, the panel were asked to vote "for the team in an individual sport or sporting discipline that has achieved the most notable performance in the calendar year. For the avoidance of doubt, this criteria excludes Team GB/Paralympics GB but includes the likes of British Cycling, Rowing Coxless Four and the European Ryder Cup team. Ultimately, though, the 12-strong panel exercised their right to override the judging terms because they were unanimous that, after such an unprecedented year in which 65 Olympic and 120 Paralympic medals, including a combined total of 63 golds, were won by British competitors, there was a special case for all the British Olympians and Paralympians to be honoured. Sir Roger Bannister presented the award to a dozen of the champions. Lord Coe was himself honoured for his contribution to British sport, recognised not just for one of the greatest careers in British athletics with his two Olympic golds but also for his triumph in delivering the greatest Olympics and Paralympics of all. The Overseas Personality of the Year was won for a third time by Usain Bolt after his unprecedented successful defence of all three of his Olympic sprint crowns - the 100 metres, 200m and sprint relay, which saw him conclude the track programme at the Games spectacularly by carrying the baton across the line in a world record. There could be no real doubt about the Coach of the Year either as Dave Brailsford, who, as both the performance director of British Cycling and the principal of Team Sky, orchestrated two of the great sporting tales of the summer. Josef Craig, who was the most youthful of all the British gold medallists in 2012 at the age of just 15, was presented with the Young Sports Personality award by Tom Daley and Ian Thorpe to mark his achievement of breaking two world records in a day during the Paralympics. The youngster from Hebburn struck gold in the S7 400m freestyle. There was an emotional ovation for another Paralympian Martine Wright, who was honoured with the Helen Rollason award for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity. Wright's debut in the sitting volleyball team marked the culmination of an inspiring journey from being the victim of the 7/7 terrorist bombings, in which she lost both legs, to becoming an international athlete.