Olympic stars dominate Sports Personality of the year shortlist

Bradley Wiggins, Chris Hoy, Andy Murray and Mo Farah and lead a shortlist dominated by Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic heroes as the BBC unveiled it’s 12-strong shortlist for this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

Jennifer Ennis is one of five women on the shortlist, reflecting the unprecedented success of the nation’s female athletes at London 2012

World No.1 golfer Rory McIlroy is the only nominee not to have won a medal at London 2012, while there are five women included on the shortlist in contrast to last year’s all-male nominees.

Rower Katherine Grainger, boxer Nicola Adams and sailor Ben Ainslie are among the hopefuls along with Paralympians Sarah Storey, Ellie Simmonds and David Weir.

With an array of candidates to choose from, the panel faced some difficult choices finalising the shortlist, which was extended from 10 to 12 to reflect a brilliant year for British sport. Three former Sports Personality nominees were on an expert panel which decided the shortlist, and the winner will be decided by a public vote on the night.

Wiggins, who in July became Britain’s first ever winner of the Tour de France just three weeks before his Olympic time trial triumph, is the initial bookmakers’ favorite, with Murray, having added grand slam glory at the US Open to his London gold, a close second.

Bradley Wiggins became the first Briton to win the Tour de France and followed up with Olympic time trial gold. Chris Hoy won the team sprint and men’s keirin at London 2012 – his fifth and sixth gold medals overall – to beat the record for golds won by a British sportsman.

Jessica Ennis won the heptathlon and Farah triumphed in both the 5,000m and 10,00m in the Olympic Stadium.

Murray clinched gold at the Games before ending Britain’s wait for a major tennis title with victory in the US Open, and McIlroy also triumphed across the Atlantic as he took the US PGA title, played in Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team and won the season-ending World Tour Championship.

Adams became the first female fighter to win an Olympic boxing title, Grainger claimed rowing gold at the fourth attempt and Ainslie’s victory at the Games made him the most decorated Olympic sailor.

At the Paralympics, wheelchair racer Weir won four titles, teenage swimmer Simmonds triumphed twice and Storey rode to four cycling titles.

Such was the strength in depth of potential contenders that those to miss out include Olympic gold medallists Charlotte Dujardin, Greg Rutherford, Victoria Pendleton, Laura Trott and Alistair Brownlee, along with Europe’s Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter.

Sports Personality of the Year will be broadcast live on BBC One on the 16th December  from 19:30 GMT.

A capacity crowd of 15,000 at the ExCel in London will make it the biggest show in the event’s 59-year history.