Beth Mead has been installed as 4/11 favourite for Sports Personality of the Year after England’s Euro 2022 victory.
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The Arsenal forward won the Golden Boot thanks to her six goals, as well as Player of the Tournament, and has seen her odds drop from 8/1 before the semi-final, to 7/2 after the semi-final, to 4/11 after lifting the trophy.
Mead's five goals in the group stage saw the Lionesses top the group, setting up a quarter-final clash with Spain, where it took an 84th-minute equaliser from Ella Toone to force extra-time, with Georgia Stanway sealing a place in the semis.
A 4-0 demolition of Sweden, with Mead opening the scoring, set up a clash with Germany.
Skipper Leah Williamson has also been cut from 33/1 before the semi-final with Sweden to 10/1 second favourite now, and may attract each-way money, with bet365 paying three places at 1/5 the odds.
The pair have leapfrogged Ronnie O’Sullivan in the betting, who’s out from 10/3 favourite to 12/1 third favourite, having matched Stephen Hendry’s seven world titles earlier in the year.
Jake Wightman has drifted from 15/2 to 20/1, longer than 12/1 fourth favourite Harry Kane, after his gold medal at the World Athletics Championships – Team GB’s only gold – in the 1,500 metres.
Keely Hodgkinson remains 33/1 after falling agonisingly short of gold, claiming Team GB’s only silver, in the 800m.
Athletes have typically fared well in the Sports Personality of the Year voting, with Alistair Brownlee, Mo Farah (twice), Jessica Ennis-Hill (four times), Jonnie Peacock, Dina Asher-Smith and Jo Pavey all featuring in the top three since 2009, with more representatives than any other sport, and if England’s Mead and Williamson do take two of the podium places, it may well be Wightman or Hodgkinson who claims the other place.
| Year | Winner | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Emma Raducanu | Tom Daley | Adam Peaty |
| 2020 | Lewis Hamilton | Jordan Henderson | Hollie Doyle |
| 2019 | Ben Stokes | Lewis Hamilton | Dina Asher-Smith |
| 2018 | Geraint Thomas | Lewis Hamilton | Harry Kane |
| 2017 | Mo Farah | Jonathan Rea | Jonnie Peacock |
