Sports Personality 2012

Wiggo I think, TdF, Olympic gold plus a bit of politics in rewarding clean cycling and all the years he spent slogging away riding paniagua while most of the peleton was doped up to the eyeballs.

Murray also deserves some recognition, Grand Slam final and Olympic gold and silver just a few weeks apart.

Mo Farah for the double Olympic gold achievement, has a Brit ever done that in 5k and 10k?  

Jess Ennis is also a worthy contender but I don't think she deserves it more than Wiggins. Plus Wiggo has hinted that he'll be happy to retire soon ... maybe recognising a brilliant performance towards the end of an athletes career would be better than celebrating a rising star?

I'm just glad there are no footballers this year

LIVERBIRD wrote (see)

I was trying to explain to my kids what an "embarrassment of riches" means this morning. I used this list as an example. How utterly FANTASTIC is it for British sport that we are genuinely spoilt for choice to the point where Olympic gold medallists are NOT on the list?

Well said LB 

Like Xine says, I've nothing against Jess at all but at 26 she's clearly got more to achieve, whereas someone like Wiggins or Weir hasn't. David Weir has certainly been on or near the top of his game for a very long time which is an amazing feat.

 Tom Hardy gets everywhere, doesn't he?

(That doesn't make sense now!)

3 Paralympians?  After last year's own goal this is political correctness gone mad.

I think there should be two awards: Sports person for the one achieving the most memorable results and sports personality for someone with, well, personality Always nice to see a happy bunny winning things and not a sour puss!

embarrassment of riches indeed. I remember being very impressed with all of the shortlisted's performances at the olympics. I'm not a follower of golf at all, but I can appreciate that Rory is great at what he does.

Personally, I found Katherine Grainger's achievement to be a real inspiration, and an example of determination and dedication. After three silvers in successive Olympics, to finally get her hands on the Gold with her last throw of the dice is a great story.

Looks like the bookies have tipped Wiggins to take it though. Any of the contenders this year would be worthy winners.

Wiggins gets my vote.  Epic year for him.

don't they usually have a few awards on the night? like best overseas sports personality, best team etc? I'd like to see a special mention to everyone involved in the 800m final, especially David Rudisha, who threw the tactics out of the window and just went balls to the wall from start to end.

xine267 wrote (see)

 Tom Hardy gets everywhere, doesn't he?

(That doesn't make sense now!)

Littlecopy/paste problem there originally 

Someone should have had a quiet word with Chris Hoy: 'Look mate, you won it after the last Olympics, you've got a knighthood and a velodrome named after you.  Would you mind if we didn't nominate you this time and put Laura in in your place?  Ta very much.'

One thing's for sure. This is going to be one of the toughest awards to win after our great Olympic year. So many worthy candidates.

What no place for a footballer, devoid of personality and family morality?

Cheerful Dave wrote (see)

Someone should have had a quiet word with Chris Hoy: 'Look mate, you won it after the last Olympics, you've got a knighthood and a velodrome named after you.  Would you mind if we didn't nominate you this time and put Laura in in your place?  Ta very much.'

I think that would be fair enough actually Dave. I suspect Sir Chris would too.

Ben Ainslee, despite his massive achievements, must have known he was an 'also-ran' in this contest. 

So today, he's thrown in a tactical retirement (well change of focus to the America's Cup.) 

He's either a PR Genius, or a desperate man! 

No, I think it was because Radio 5 are interviewing one of the nominees each day, and he happened to be first up this morning.  One of the inevitable questions would be about Rio, so what's he to say?

im not sure why jess ennis gets many peoples votes... what did she do to justify a vote over any of the other single medal winners.

Other than she is easier on the eye

I think that's true to a degree Dean.

She's a pleasant enough person and a talented enough athlete but I don't honestly see why she should be a front runner in this particular year. Other years, maybe. Although she does have the edge over other single medal winners in having to compete in 7 events. That does, I think, rightly, count for something.

But imagine the headlines if she hadn't won gold, it would have been all over the papers for days. And if the same thing had happened to Mo Farah, for instance, there wouldn't have been half the fuss. I realise it's hypothetical but you just know  what it would have been like.

Put it this way, was there ever so much fuss over Deniece Lewis who achieved the same thing? No.

Tough tough one to call. I do thinka Brownlee should have been in and personally don;t think McIllory should win it. Nothing against him and did win a big one (Us PGA) bit not the same as the Olympians (plus he is paid millions and Olympians get no prize money)

Don;t think Nicola Adams either, sorry boxing doesn't do it for me. Any of the other 10 is OK.

Cycling and athletics both have three contendors so they will suffer a split vote although I do think Chris Hoy won't get votes because he has won it before and I think the other two are bigger achievements this year.

I am so unsure I have to revert to my sport so it will be athletics but which of the three? 

For me after a lot of thought it has to be Jess.

HUGE pressure on her, she was THE face of the games and he pulled it off. Somebody said she won it easy so won't get SPOTY BUT that was the point.

Was she the favourite? perhaps. Was it clear favourite? No way. There were three perhaps four of them that had a shot at it. I thought she would win by 50 points max, To win by 306 was an unbelievable achievement. She only got one medal but did seven events, four PBs, her hurdles would have won Gold in Beijing in the invididual event and 4th in London.

Personality? She is a fantastic character in the right way. The yanks always say you have to be a surly, arrogant whatsit to win.

Jess is a true Brit, really nice AND a winner

However I do think the split votes in athletics and cycling may let somebody in and that could well be Andy Murray. Wouldn't be my choice but actually wouldn't be totally distraught if he won.

I agree she shouldn't win but, Mo Farah aside, Nicola Adams was my favourite gold medal of the olympics. she was brilliant and dead nice.