Who should be the Sports Personality of the Year?

Frank Praverman

On Sunday, the BBC present their Sports Personality of the Year award based on the votes of the public and we're eager to find out who's likely to walk off with the spoils.

So have a read of who's who and cast a vote for your favourite, telling us why they deserve to win. It looks like Chris Hoy may take some beating...

Contenders for BBC Sports Personality of the Year:

Rebecca Adlington
Won two gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in the 400m and 800m, breaking the 19-year-old world record of Janet Evans in the 800m final. Adlington is Britain's first Olympic swimming champion since 1988 and the first British swimmer to win two Olympic gold medals since 1908.

Nicole Cooke
Road race cyclist became the first person to win the World Championship and Olympics in the same year.

Chris Hoy
Track cyclist won three gold medals in Beijing 2008, the first Briton to collect this haul in a single Olympic Games since Henry Taylor in 1908, and the most successful Olympic male cyclist of all time.

Rebecca Romero
Former World Champion and Olympic Games medallist at rowing, followed up her World Championship victory by claiming Olympic gold on the cycling track.

Bradley Wiggins
Followed up his three medals on the cycling track at the Athens Olympics in 2004 with a further two  golds in Beijing.

Ben Ainslie
Times columnist won his third sailing gold medal in consecutive Olympic Games in the Finn class.

Christine Ohuruogu
Added to her Commonwealth and World Championship golds by collecting the Olympic winner's medal to complete her comeback from a 12-month ban for missing three drugs tests.

Lewis Hamilton
Became the youngest ever Formula One world champion in only his second year.

Joe Calzaghe (pictured above)
Last year's Sports Personality of the Year remained unbeaten in 2008 by beating Bernard Hopkins to win the Ring magazine light heavyweight title and then defending it against Roy Jones Jr.

Andy Murray
Reached No 4 in the world after losing the final of the US Open to Roger Federer. Won five times on the ATP Tour.

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Comments

i think Lewis deserve it for the phenonmenal year he has had and the the fact that he stand firm in the face of adversity.

[David Gardiner]

If the word 'personality' means anything, then Chris Hoy should receive the award. he is not full of himself to the extent that he ignores the safety of his competitors, and he hasn't come out weeks before the competition and said that he is more worthy of the award than someone else. Take note, messrs hamilton and Adlington.

[John Traynor]

I don't mind who wins as long as it isn't Adlington - she is SO annoying.

[Chris H]

John (3/12/08 @16.57) You may dimiss Track Cycling as a world class event but in sport you can only beat what's put in front of you to beat. Chris Hoy did that in three events. It was the 1st time since 1908 that any British athlete has won three golds at a single games. It's a stunning achievment. He deserves the BBC award for getting more medals than any other British olympian. Phelps should win the overseas award no contest. Lewis only got his world title with the help of a great team. In reality he only had two opponents, Kimi and Massa. The other teams weren't good enough to compete with McLaren and his team mate was very poor competition. Murray had a good 2nd half to the year but didn't win a grand slam event. Calzaghe gets second place for me on the basis that both his opponents were past their best when he fought them.

[Charles]

I watched the final stages of Nicole Cooke's World Championship Road Race. With the commentators making excuses for her "tired legs" and writing off her attempt to make history by winning the never-before-acheived olympic and world double, Nicole put her head down and pedalled to victory, blissfully unaware of the deafeatism in the commentary box. She will not get the prize but she desrves it more than anyone else. Epitome of the oft quoted but increasingly rare British grit. Well done Nicole!

[PJ]

"Padraig Harrington wins two majors in one year and three out of the last six, and doesn't even get a mention! - surely that can't be right?

Posted by: Peter Cragg"
-------

Padraig is Irish, and therefore not eligible.

[Guy Thompson]

On the basis that being the best means beating the greatest number of sport participants to be the top of the pile - it has to be a swimmer, road cyclist or athlete. And if that holds, then Rebecca Addlington should get the nod for two golds, a world record and doing a sport that is gruelling in the extreme.

[John J]

Harrington isnt British so of course he cant win.

[James]

Peter, Harrington is Irish and will therefore hopefully win the overseas award

[John]

Track cycling is mickey mouse compared to road cycling. The strength in depth is just not there and it affords multiple opportunities to win medals.

Cooke's achievement this year in winning the Olympic title in a monsoon and then returning to win the world championship 6 weeks later is unique in the history of cycling.

[Bob Lee]

I'm a cyclist (well, at least I try to be!) and obviously support Sir Chris, but feel that Rebecca Adlington deserves the title. Riding a bike is a pleasure, even if it is hard work. The same goes for many of the other training regimes. However, how many hours of training, and personal sacrifices, often in un-sociable hours, have the others made in comparison to Rebecca? Winning the award will also be a pat on the back to her parents who have effectively dedicated their married life to seeing their daughter achieve her objective. Difficult to pick a winner, they're all brilliant.

[Crashing Dashing Kid]

Well the choice is a bit wrong. Lewis Hamilton was the only competitor to enjoy an advantage over his rivals (i.e. his car was faster than theirs)and would not have won if he drove for Honda. My top 3?
1. Chris Hoy (how do you argue against 3 Olympic golds?)
2. Joe Calzaghe (done no worse than last year when he won)
3. Rebecca Adlington (outstanding year)

[Tim]

What about Mark Cavendish?? The first British rider to win 4 stages at one tour de france, at the age of only 23 and in only his 2nd year as a pro. A number of people on the list, whilst their achievements were undoubtedly impressive didn't really do much more then fulfil their expectations for the year. Mark Cavendish went to the biggest event in his sport and completely blew away the competition. He is already head and shoulders above any other sprinter in the world and, if he carries on the way he's going could turn out to be one of the greatest sports men this country has produced! Granted he didn't win at the Olympics (something his partner Wiggins has accepted was due to his own fatigue from his previous events) but the pair are actually current World champions in the event anyway. (Mark's won it twice but who's counting!)

Also one point I feel should be made given the title of the award, is that if you hear the kid in interviews he actually has one thing that most people on the list are lacking (im particularly looking at you Hamilton) which is a personality!! he's witty, confident and cocky, he knows he's good and isn't afraid to say so, but unfortunately in Britain any display of confidence is construed as brash arrogance and frowned upon which is a pity. Not forgetting that he is also one of the most outspoken voices against doping on the circuit.

My parents live on the Isle of Man and tell me that whenever home, Mark can be seen out around the roads on the Island, leading a load of kids from the local cycling club on a training ride. Try imagine being a 10 yr old kid in Liverpool and having Steven Gerrard turn up at your training session on a Sunday morning to get an idea of what that must be like for those kids. Says a lot about the guy I think.

[alex]

Ben ainsley should win it he can only win one and he has won it 3 times in a row. At least as good as Chris Hoy.

[Bill]

3 golds in 3 different events after winning 18 straight races; its got to be Hoy.

[Chris]

I don't like to defend tax-dodger Hamilton, but he is a phenomenon. If Formula One was easy, everyone would be doing it. His achievements are simply amazing and if you dismiss him for his car you have to dismiss Hoy for his bike. But his time will come. Hoy should win it for being the daddy.

[Alex]

Hamilton became the youngest ever World Champion in the second fastest car, with many points taken off him unfairly by "Stewards" executing Max Moseley's vendetta.

Sadly he will probably not win as thousands of piqued Alonso fans will flood votes in for any rival likely to beat him.

Show your support for Lewis, he is a lovely lad and thoroughly deserves it.

[David]

Hamilton's achievement was by far the best to me. Great cyclist though Hoy is, Lewis best the whole field in only his second year, risking his life every time.

[Peter Cragg]

Padraig Harrington wins two majors in one year and three out of the last six, and doesn't even get a mention! - surely that can't be right?

[A Thorn]

We all know that the none entity that is Lewis Hamilton will win, ah, the strength of the red top readers! Where is the 13 year old paralympian?

[Sam]

The real McHoy

[Neil]

"The most successful Olympic male cyclist of all time."

Says it all really.

[Rouleur]

Well for me it is a toss up between Chris Hoy and Nicole Cooke. Cookie's WC and Olympic Gold was a first ever whilst 'Sir' Chris Hoy's three golds was outstanding..!

However it has been a great year for British sport and all ten are worthy winners. Except Andy, you need to win a Grand Slam then it is yours.

[Andy]

I think a lot of people aren't sure exactly what we're voting on here - but it is fairly clear that it's not just awarded for the greatest achievement; I guess simple popularity is what we're looking at, and people who win olympic medals, appear on TV, AND come across as likeable, must have a bit of an advantage.

Being able to identify helps too - of course we couldn't keep up with Hamilton in our Ford Focuses or Hoy on our Halfords mountain bikes, but we can still fell some connection because most of us have driven, cycled, swum, or swung a tennis racket.

Adam, I take it you're joking, because probably less people have heard of Bisping's sport (UFC for all that haven't, that's one of many variations on mixed martial arts) than anybody on this list!

[JAMIE]

What is this nonsense. I think Murray's achievements far outweigh that of Lewis Hamilton's. Half of his success is achieved by the car, not that i'm saying it is an easy sport. Andy Murray has achieved more in a year of tennis than any of our male tennis palyers in decades. A grand slam is on its way this year. Needs to sort out his temporament if he is to win any fans though.

ps. Where's Shane Williams?