It’s hard to believe that winter is coming round again, and that means that the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award ceremony is not too far away! Each year, the accolade recognises the leading star of British sport over the previous 12 months, and 2021 has been a fine year with a number of prospective winners vying for the top prize.
Last year, Lewis Hamilton claimed the award for his exploits in Formula One, and it’ll be interesting to see how things pan out on December 19th. Here, we’ve put together a guide to the top three candidates. Read on to see who’s in the running!
Emma Raducanu
It’s no surprise that the current favourite in the sports personality of the year 2021 winner odds is Emma Raducanu. The teenage tennis player rose to superstardom when she shocked the world by winning the US Open back in August. It was a sensational performance from the Brit, who didn’t drop a single set on her way to defeating Leylah Fernandez in the final.
Raducanu had burst onto the scene with a strong performance at Wimbledon, reaching the fourth round, but no one expected her to go on and win the New York based Grand Slam. It was a phenomenal performance, and Raducanu’s infectious personality and maturity beyond her years make her a strong candidate to land the SPOTY award for 2021.
Tom Daley
At the fourth time of asking, Tom Daley finally got his Olympic gold medal at this summer’s Games in Tokyo. The diver had two Olympic bronze medals to his name from the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, but the gold had eluded him until everything fell into place in the 10-metre synchronised platform event in Tokyo.
Daley also picked up another bronze in the 10-metre platform event, making it a hugely successful Games overall. For a man who has had so much pressure on his shoulders from a very young age, it was a glorious moment for Daley to finally get his hands on the coveted gold medal and secure his place among diving’s greats.
Tyson Fury
What else can be said about Tyson Fury? The boxer continues to excel in the heavyweight division, and he is, in most people’s opinion, the greatest boxer on the planet right now. Fury is still unbeaten over the course of his career, and his victory over Deontay Wilder in the pair’s third fight earlier this year means he is one of Britain’s best sportsmen of all time.
Fury is generally not one to seek personal accolades, and it will be interesting to see his reaction if he is nominated for the award this year again. Last time, Fury took exception with the decision to nominate him, and requested that his name be removed from the running. The request was not granted, but the boxer pled with his fans not to vote for him. Will anything have changed in the 12 months since which would make Fury more open to receiving the award? We’ll have to wait and see!