The Observer Sport Monthly Sport Awards

Rebecca Adlington, the winner of our sportsperson of the year award for her breathtaking swimming performance at the Beijing Olympics Photograph: Lorenzo Agius/Lorenzo Agius

As he steps down from professional cricket, our lifetime achievement award goes to Shane Warne Photograph: Mark Nolan/Getty

Speedo Aqualab take the best invention award, with their new swimsuit contributing to 74 world records since March. Aqualab's Jason Rance, Melanie Simmons, Sophy White and Charles Wilson are pictured with the British swimmer Jess Sylvester Photograph: Gary Calton/Gary Calton

The grand slam-winning Wales captain, Ryan Jones, takes our unsung hero award for his brilliant year in rugby Photograph: Shamil Tanna/Shamil Tanna

One of the most glamorous women in athletics, the Russian Yelena Isinbayeva can't stop setting records. She is the world's greatest pole-vaulter and takes our best international athlete award Photograph: Eva Vermandel/Eva Vermandel

The best team award went to the lads behind the success that is British cycling. Dave Brailsford (l), the public face of the team and the performance director, and Chris Boardman, a Barcelona Olympic gold-medallist and Tour de france yellow jersey winner, were photographed at The Belfry for OSM in November. Shane Sutton, and the Australian ex-pro and psychiatrist Steve Peters are not pictured but are just as much part of cycling's fab four Photograph: Jim Naughten/Jim Naughten

Footballer Rory Delap wins the best tactical innovation award for creating a new and deadly way to chuck a ball, which even he can't explain. "I don't go into the technicals, I just pick it up and throw," he told OSM. Here he takes a long throw into the box at the Stoke City v Arsenal game in November Photograph: Neal Simpson/Empics

The tennis player Laura Robson wins the best newcomer award, having taken the girls' singles title at Wimbledon Photograph: Alan Mahon/Alan Mahon

Jurgen Grobler, who takes our best coach award, is pictured in Caversham in November Photograph: Jim Naughten/Jim Naughten

Elenor Simmonds became the youngest Paralympian to take gold this year, then she won again ... taking the OSM breakthrough star award Photograph: Suki Dhanda/Suki Dhanda

Mark Cavendish, who is awarded best individual achievement for his cycling efforts this year, is pictured on the hills above Laxey, Isle of Man, in October Photograph: Chris Floyd/Chris Floyd