The award has crowned a fabulous year for Miley who broke the record as she took gold at the Commonwealth Games in her favoured 400 metres individual medley event and finished the year ranked world number one.

She becomes only the second woman to win the title, following hot on the heels of rower Katherine Grainger last year, and collects the Emirates Lonsdale Trophy as well as two business class tickets to Dubai and £1,000 ($1,500) prize money.

Runner-up was triathlete Catriona Morrison who received £500 ($789).

Completing an impressive short-list were shooters Jonathan Hammond and Jen McIntosh, cyclist David Millar, tennis player Andy Murray and five times Emirates Lonsdale Trophy winner, cyclist Sir Chris Hoy.

Announcing the award, Michael Cavanagh, chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said: "It is has been a particularly tough decision this year with so many fantastic performances to consider, not just at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, so many congratulations to all our nominees and runner-up Catriona Morrison.

"However, 2010 has seen Hannah Miley step up a significant level to secure her position at the top of the world stage and deliver not once, but twice in three months.

"Anyone who knows Hannah is in no doubt of her total commitment to be the very best in the world and already since returning from Delhi she has been away in Australia warm weather training.

"She is a worthy winner of the Emirates Lonsdale Trophy and we wish her all the very best as she starts to home in on her Olympic dream in London 2012."