BBC Sports Personality of the Year Nominee Shortlist

The nominee’s shortlist for the 2012 BBC Sports Personality of the Year has been announced featuring as expected, many of Great Britain’s Summer Olympic stars. The awards show will be broadcast live on Sunday the 16th of December at 7:30pm in the UK on BBC One and BBC One HD.

Following such a hugely successful home Olympic games for Team GB back in the summer, 2012’s SPOTY look to be the most eagerly awaited and hotly contested awards ever.

So who will win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012? Here is the shortlist of 12 British sorting hero nominee’s for whom the public can vote to decide, the SPOTY 2012 winner is one of the following:

Nicola Adams, Olympic Boxer – Nicola became the first ever female to win an Olympic Gold in Boxing following the sports introduction to the games this year. The highly popular Leeds native has proven a big hit with the British public since defeating the tournament favorite from China to clinch the Olympic title.

Bookmakers odds of winning: 150/1

Ben Ainslie, Olympic Sailor – Big Ben claimed his fourth consecutive Olympic Gold medal this year in the sport of Sailing. Ainslie went into the games as one of Team GB’s best hopes for Gold but despite a very tough race and at one point getting “angry”, the 35 year old didn’t disappoint.

Betting odds: 150/1

Jessica Ennis, Olympic Heptathlete – Perhaps now one of the most famous women in Britain, Jess began 2012 as the poster girl for the London Games. Inevitably this brought with it a huge amount of added pressure and expectation but right from her first event in the Heptathlon she looked unbeatable. The 26 year old from Sheffield went on to comfortably win Gold, finishing in style by winning her final race in the 800 meters on Super Saturday.

Betting odds: 8/1

Mo Farah, Olympic Runner – Continuing the British success on that amazing first Super Saturday night, medium distance runner Mo Farah stormed to victory in the men’s 10,000m. In one of the most iconic moments from the games Mo sprinted away from the pack to cross the finishing line displaying a look of total amazement. The following Saturday Farah repeated his success by winning the 5,000m making it two Golds in London 2012 and of course who can forget the Mobot.

Betting odds: 4/1

Katherine Grainger, Olympic Rower. After winning a silver medal in each of the three previous Olympics it looked as if Katherine Grainger was destined never to experience Gold. Thankfully for her though, the determined Scottish rower didn’t give up and was able to fulfill her dream of winning an Olympic Gold medal in 2012. Along with her rowing partner Anna Watkins, Kathrine won the finals of the Women’s Double Sculls.

Betting odds: 200/1

Sir Chris Hoy, Olympic Cyclist. Already a legend in the sport of cycling before the games, Sir Chris Hoy used London 2012 to cement his status as one of the greatest British Olympians of all time. Hoy won a further two Gold medals in London taking him to six in total, a British record. Sir Chris is the only contender on this years BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist to have already won the award. The Scot took the title back in 2008 following the Beijing Games.

Betting odds: 125/1

Rory McIlroy, Golfer. Hang on a minute, they don’t play golf in the Olympics. Oh yeah that’s right, it’s Sports Personality, not Olympic Personality. Yes after going through this list of British Olympic greats you start to forget there was any other sport in 2012. Rory McIlroy had a tremendous year in the world of golf managing to top the prize money list. The Irish star also played a key role in Europe’s Ryder Cup comeback and victory against the US.

Betting odds:  125/1

Andy Murray, Tennis Player. Surely one of this years major contenders, Andy Murray tasted big success in and out of the Olympics. In the Olympics the Scot took Gold in the men’s singles tournament after beating Roger Federer in the final, sweet pay back for his Wimbledon defeat earlier that summer. Later that same day Murray added to his medal collection by taking silver in the mixed doubles. As if all that wasn’t enough the UK number one went on to finally win his first Grand Slam by taking the US Open title.

Betting odds: 7/1

Ellie Simmonds, Paralympic Swimmer. Star of the pool for Paralympics Team GB Ellie Simmonds won a total of four medals, two Golds, one Silver and one Bronze. Ellie achieved all this along with instant fame in the UK despite still only being 17 years of age. Not only a star now but surely of the future as well.

Betting odds: 50/1

Sarah Storey, Paralympic Cyclist. The second of Paralympic Team GB’s line up to make the SPOTY shortlist, Sarah Storey was no stranger to the top step of the podium this summer. The 35 year old cyclist set the Velodrome alight taking a massive four Golds at the 2012 Paralympics bringing her collection to eleven in total, equaling the British record.

Betting odds: 200/1

David Weir, Paralympic Wheelchair Athlete. David Weir certainly covered some distance during this years Paralympics and pretty quickly too. Weir won four Golds in 2012 by winning the 800m, 1500m, 5,000m and finally the Marathon proving he’s got both the speed and stamina. David adds his four London Golds to the two he won in Beijing 2008.

Betting odds: 25/1

Bradley Wiggins, Olympic and Road Cyclist. Last but by no means least on the Sports Personality 2012 list is side burn cycle star Bradley Wiggins. Another big contender to win the BBC vote, like Andy Murray, Wiggins has achieved success both in and out of the Olympics. Before the London games even began Wiggo was a sure bet to make this list after becoming the first ever Brit to win the Tour de France. Just for good measure Bradley then cruised into the Olympics to take Gold in the Time Trials giving him seven medals in total. This is now a joint British record along with Sir Chris Hoy.

Betting odds: 2/5 (Bookies favorite to win)

In any normal sporting year anyone of these 12 could expect to quite easily win Sports Personality of the Year. This year though you’d have to think the likes of Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah, Andy Murray, Bradley Wiggins and Sir Chris Hoy must stand the best chance.

SPOTY Previous Winners:

2011 Mark Cavendish – Cycling

2010 AP McCoy – Jockey

2009 Ryan Giggs – Football

2008 Chris Hoy – Cycling

2007 Joe Calzaghe – Boxing

2006 Zara Phillips – Equestrian

2005 Freddy Flintoff – Cricket

2004 Kelly Holmes – Athletics

2003 Jonny Wilkinson – Rugby

2002 Paula Radcliffe – Athletics

2001 David Beckham – Football

2000 Steve Redgrave – Rowing