The Sports Personality of the Year Award is one of the highlights of the British sporting calendar and this 69th year of the award is set to be no different.
The shortlist of six British sportspeople will all be hoping to take home the crown, which was won by Emma Radacunu last year, and there are a number of intriguing contenders.
What: Sports Personality of the Year Award
Where: Media City, Salford
When: 18:45, Wednesday 21st December 2022
How to watch: BBC1
Odds: Beth Mead 1/33, Ben Stokes 12/1, Ronnie O’Sullivan 40/1, Eve Muirhead 80/1, Jake Wightman 100/1, Jessica Gadirova 100/1
Beth Mead
England’s Lionesses won the first senior major trophy for the country since 1966 this summer with a 2-1 victory over Germany in the European Championship final and there was no player more influential in that tournament success than Beth Mead.
The Arsenal striker took home the Golden Boot after netting six times and also picked up Player of the Tournament honours after also registering five assists along the way.
Mead also finished as runner-up in the Ballon D’Or voting.
The 27-year-old recently suffered a season-ending knee injury, but her achievements preceding that mean that she is in pole position for this year’s Sports Personality of the Year Award.
Ben Stokes
England had won one of their previous 10 Tests when Ben Stokes took over as captain in April of this year and he has since guided them to nine wins from his first ten matches in charge.
Stokes’ team picked up historic wins over New Zealand and away to Pakistan, with their new aggressive approach winning over fans.
The 31-year-old also managed personal successes of his own, being named Player of the Series in a series win over South Africa and top-scoring in England’s T20 World Cup final victory.
The Ashes await next summer, but the changes made by Stokes and new coach Brendon McCullum have breathed new life into English cricket and given their fans fresh hope of a victory against their fiercest rivals.
Stokes won this award in 2019 and is likely to be on the podium again this time around.
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O’Sullivan has never made it on to the podium for the Sports Personality of the Year Award, but an impressive 2022 has given him a good chance this time around.
The Rocket took his record-equalling seventh world title this year, becoming the oldest ever player to do so in the process.
O’Sullivan also added the Champion of Champions and Hong Kong Masters trophies and is currently ranked as the world number one, giving him his best ever chance of making the top three in this award.
Related SPOTY News
Sports Personality of the Year: All you need to know
Beth Mead and Jake Wightman amongst SPOTY favourites
Jake Wightman
Jake Wightman’s win in the 1,500m at this year’s World Athletics Championship was historic for a number of reasons.
Firstly the Scottish runner became the first Britain in almost 40 years to take home the title but he also did it with his father and coach Geoff commentating from the stands.
The moment proved popular online, but Wightman’s lack of wider name recognition may work against him in this public vote.
Eve Muirhead
Great Britain largely had a Winter Olympics campaign to forget, but one of the bright spots was the efforts of the women’s curling team.
Led by skip Eve Muirhead they took home the gold with a dominant victory over Japan in the final, the only gold medal that Great Britain secured in Beijing.
Muirhead followed that up with another gold at the World Mixed Doubles Championship before announcing her retirement.
Jessica Gadirova
Jessica Gadirova has confirmed her early promise this year and confirmed herself as the up-and-coming star in British gymnastics.
The 18-year-old became just the fifth British athlete ever to win an individual title in artistic gymnastics this year, following on from her role in Great Britain’s team bronze in the Olympics in 2021.
Gadirova retained her European floor title and claimed team silver and all-around bronze in a medal-filled year for the youngster.
