The final shortlist for the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) award has now been confirmed after the names were released one by one throughout the day today.
The broadcaster named the six contenders as cricketer Ben Stokes, championship runner Dina Asher-Smith, Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton, athletics champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Manchester City footballer Raheem Sterling and Rugby Union hero Alun Wyn Jones.
The public will get the chance to vote for their favourite sports star on the night of the awards ceremony, which takes place in Aberdeen on December 15.
Barbara Slater, the BBC’s Director of Sport, said: “It is a very difficult task selecting the shortlist for BBC Sports Personality of the Year – 2019 is no different as there were so many strong contenders to choose from.
“After much deliberation, the expert panel felt the six nominees were the ones that most captured the public’s imagination during the sporting year.
“It’s now up to the public to decide who their winner should be.”
So what have each of the contenders achieved this year?
- Ben Stokes played a key role in securing victory for England against New Zealand in what is now regarded as one of the most extraordinary Cricket World Cup finals of all time. A month later he then produced one of the greatest innings in Test cricket history when he scored an astonishing 135 not out to help England win the third Test against Australia.
- Dina Asher-Smith became the first British woman in history to win a global gold medal in a sprint event at the World Championships in Doha. Her blistering time of 21.88 was also a national record. The runner also also won a silver medal in the women’s 100m with a time of 10.83 (another British record) and the women’s 4x100m.
- Lewis Hamilton claimed his sixth F1 World Championship earlier this year and was named as the second most successful Formula 1 driver of all-time - just one behind Michael Schumacher. He previously won the award in 2014 and was last year’s runner up.
- Katarina Johnson-Thompson won gold in the heptathlon event at the World Championships, with her overall points tally breaking the British record set by Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill. She also won gold in the pentathlon at the European Indoor Championships, which took place in Glasgow in March.
- Manchester City star Raheem Sterling was an integral part of the team’s domestic treble winning campaign which saw them lift the Premier League, the FA Cup and the League Cup. He has scored 28 goals for City since the turn of the year. His performances led him to be named as the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year and the Professional Footballers’ Association Young Player of the Year. The midfielder is also on the shortlist for the 2019 Ballon d’Or.
- Alun Wyn Jones captained Wales’ Six Nations-winning team and was subsequently named Player of the Championship. At the World Cup he became the most capped player for Wales, overtaking the record of 129 previously held by Gethin Jenkins. He is also a 2019 IRB World Rugby Player of the Year nominee.
The six sportsmen and women will compete for the public vote on the night of the live show, which will take place in Aberdeen’s P&J Live arena.
Presenters Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan will take to the stage in front of an audience of 10,000, with millions more watching live on BBC One as the city hosts the event for the first time.
Scottish stars Lewis Capaldi and Emeli Sandé will also perform on the night.
In addition to the main award, the other awards up for grabs include World Sport Star of the Year, Greatest Sporting Moment of the Year, Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, the Helen Rollason Award, the Get Inspired Unsung Hero Award and Young Sports Personality of the Year.
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