shortlist of 10 stars has been named for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award on Sunday.
Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton, boxers Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe, plus athletes Paula Radcliffe and Christine Ohuruogu are among the contenders.
Golfer Justin Rose, motorcyclist James Toseland, tennis player Andy Murray and England rugby stars Jonny Wilkinson and Jason Robinson complete the candidates.
A public phone vote decides the winner during a live show on BBC One.
Millions of viewers are set to tune in for the programme hosted by Gary Lineker, Sue Barker and Adrian Chiles.
An audience of nearly 8,000 people at the NEC in Birmingham will see a range of awards being presented at the sell-out event.
Hamilton is rated favourite by the bookmakers to win the trophy, which was lifted by world equestrian champion Zara Phillips in 2006.
Hatton's odds would have shortened dramatically if he had beaten Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas, but the Hitman was stopped in the 10th round.
The shortlist was drawn up by canvassing the top 10 selections of more than 30 sporting experts, including a range of newspaper editors.
Three current world champions and three runners-up are on the shortlist, with a total of seven sports represented:
Joe Calzaghe - Undisputed world super-middleweight boxing champion.
Lewis Hamilton - World championship runner-up in his rookie Formula One season.
Ricky Hatton - Fought bravely but lost to Floyd Mayweather on eve of show.
Andy Murray - Broke into the world top 10 despite an injury that ruled him out of Wimbledon.
Christine Ohuruogu - Returned from one-year ban for missing three drugs tests to land world 400m title in Osaka.
Paula Radcliffe - Won the New York Marathon just 10 months after giving birth to a baby daughter.
Jason Robinson - Retired after playing key part in England making the Rugby World Cup final.
Justin Rose - Captured golf's European Order of Merit title.
James Toseland - Claimed the World Superbikes Championship for the second time.
Jonny Wilkinson - Shrugged off injury to help England to Rugby World Cup final.
For the second year running, no footballer has made the list - Northern Ireland's record-breaking striker David Healy and Scotland star James McFadden did not gain enough votes.
Frankie Dettori was among the award favourites earlier in the year, but does not feature despite his emotional Derby win on Authorized.
Joint champion jockey Seb Sanders, who shared the title with Jamie Spencer, was the 11th most popular choice in the nominations.
In addition to the main honour, there will also be several other awards, including the Top Team prize.
Other winners announced on the night and decided by judging panels will include Coach of the Year, Overseas Personality and Young Personality.
And the Sports Unsung Hero honour, supported by Robinsons, goes to a volunteer who has made a real difference to a club or team.
The BBC also gifts two special honours - lifetime achievement, and the Helen Rollason Award for achievement in the face of adversity.
No comments:
Post a Comment