The Sports Personality of the Year awards return in December as British fans vote for their favourite sporting star of 2024.
An expert panel of judges will pull together and initial shortlist of candidates, before BBC viewers participate in a public vote on the night of 15 December to decide the winner.
Other awards on the night will include overseas sportsperson, team of the year, sporting moment and unsung hero.
The Sports Personality of the Year awards were first introduced by the BBC in 1954 and have been running ever since. England goalkeeper Mary Earps won last year’s award after the Lionesses reached the World Cup final.
This year’s ceremony will mark the last to be hosted by Gary Lineker, before the presenter’s 23-year career at the BBC draws to a close next summer.
Favourites
Keely Hodgkinson 1/4
In her short career to date the 22-year-old had already gathered world and Olympic silver medals in the 800m, but this time she arrived at a major championships with golden expectations after a stellar season. Hodgkinson did not disappoint, streaming away from her rivals on the blue Stade de France track and bursting with emotion as she crossed the line, realising her achievement. For British fans, it was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Games.
Luke Littler 5/2
The year featured a number of highlights, kicking off with 16-year-old Luke Littler reaching the final of the World Darts Championship, and falling just short of an astonishing victory. The prodigy has since proved that was no fluke with a string of trophies and a rise to the top five of the world rankings, instigating a nationwide darts boom in the process.
Mark Cavendish 15/1
Aged 39, the Manxman returned to the Tour de France for one final attempt at surpassing the great Eddy Merckx’s record tally of 34 stage wins. It seemed unlikely even for a sprinter of Cavendish’s pedigree, given his advancing years against a young and hungry pack of rivals, but he displayed his old prowess with a masterful piece of sprinting to win in Saint-Vulbas.
Ben Ainslie 20/1
The multiple Olympic champion has spent the past few years focused on winning the America’s Cup, and came as a close as any British skipper ever has when he steered the Ineos Britannia to the final. There New Zealand proved too good, despite a valiant fightback, but Ainslie has vowed to continue chasing the dream.
Sarah Storey 20/1
Storey won her 18th Paralympic gold medal in the women’s C5 cycling time trial, an astonishing 32 years after winning her first gold in Barcelona in 1992 as a 14-year-old swimmer.
Lando Norris 20/1
The McLaren driver has enjoyed a much-improved second half to the season, winning a raft of pole positions as he closed the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen. A failure to turn those poles into race wins may ultimately cost the 25-year-old Briton his first world title, with Verstappen poised to claim his fourth successive crown, but Norris has shown he has the makings of an F1 champion in the near future.
odds via Oddschecker
Outside bets
Tom Pidcock 40/1
Jack Draper 40/1
Alfie Hewitt 50/1
Jude Bellingham 50/1
Bryony Page 50/1
Emma Finucane 50/1
Alex Yee 50/1
Joe Root 50/1
Hannah Cockroft 50/1
