Laurentia Tan has been crowned The Straits Times' Athlete of the Year for 2012, in an award ceremony held on Tuesday afternoon at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront hotel.

She edged out three other nominees - table tennis player Feng Tianwei, bowler Shayna Ng and footballer Shahril Ishak - for the annual award.

The Britain-based equestrienne was at the award ceremony to receive her award from guest of honour Mr Lawrence Wong, acting minister for Culture, Community and Youth.

The equestrian rider won a silver medal (Grade Ia individual dressage freestyle) and a bronze (Grade Ia individual dressage championship test) at the Paralympics in London last year, becoming Singapore's most bemedalled Paralympian. Tan, 33, had already won two bronzes at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Inaugurated in 2009, this is the fifth edition of the ST award and is backed by Fraser & Neave's 100Plus. Past winners include swimmers Tao Li, Quah Ting Wen, the national women's table tennis team and badminton shuttler Fu Mingtian.