BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist unveiled as six stars bid for gong
The shortlist for this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year award has been revealed.
Lionesses goalkeeper Mary Earps is the favourite to win the award after her performances in the Women's World Cup, where England came up heartbreakingly short in the final against Spain.
She is joined by cricketer Stuart Broad, horse racing legend Frankie Dettori, wheelchair tennis star Alfie Hewett, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Ryder Cup hero Rory McIlroy. There is no place on the shortlist for Ronnie O'Sullivan, despite the Rocket claiming his 22nd Triple Crown event at the recent UK Championship.
The public will vote for their winner with the ceremony broadcast live from Media City in Salford on Tuesday December 19. It will be hosted by Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott.
If Earps is victorious, she will follow teammate Beth Mead who won the award last year after helping the Lionesses to glory in the European Championship. Ben Stokes came in second, while Scottish curling star Eve Muirhead took third.
Earps reacts to FIFA Best nomination and on season so far with Man Utd
As well as the main award, there are a clutch of other prizes up for grabs. These include the World Sport Star of the Year, the Helen Rollason Award, Young Sports Personality of the Year, Unsung Hero, Coach of the Year, Team of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement award.
It will be the 70th edition of SPOTY which begun in 1954, which Chris Chataway crowned the first-ever winner.
Broad brought the curtain down on a stellar Test match career in fairytale fashion, hitting his last ball as a batsman for six in the final Ashes Test, before taking the final wicket to seal victory for England and tie the series.
Earps is favourite to land the gongDettori secured a host of big wins on his final year racing in the UK, including the 2000 Guineas on Chaldean and the Oaks on Soul Sister.
Hewett enjoyed a stunning 2023, winning seven singles tournaments including Grand Slams in Australia and the USA, while narrowly missing out at Wimbledon.
Johnson-Thompson claimed heptathlon gold in the World Championship for the second time, edging out American Anna Hall by just 20 points in Budapest.
And McIlroy earned his Ryder Cup redemption after Europe's heartbreak in 2021, where he was left in tears after a record margin of defeat by the USA. The Northern Irish talisman starred as Luke Donald's team turned the tables in 2023, finishing as the top points scorer on either side with four wins from his five matches.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
