Sports Personality of the Year contenders named

4 months ago 78

A graphic of the SPOTY contenders

Venue: MediaCityUK, Salford Date: Tuesday, 19 December at 19:00 GMT Coverage: Live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app

A shortlist of six contenders has been announced for the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

Cricketer Stuart Broad, jockey Frankie Dettori, footballer Mary Earps, wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett, athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and golfer Rory McIlroy are the nominees.

Voting will take place during the show on BBC One on Tuesday, 19 December.

Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott will present the 70th edition of the annual awards.

The programme - broadcast live at MediaCityUK in Salford - will celebrate 12 months of incredible sporting action.

The public can vote by phone or online on the night for the main award, with full details announced during the show.

Other awards to be announced include Young Sports Personality of the Year, Team and Coach of the Year, Unsung Hero and the Helen Rollason Award.

The Lifetime Achievement and World Sport Star awards will also be presented.

Voting for the World Sport Star award is still open, but will close at 22:00 GMT.

Recap: Who did you want to see on the shortlist?Sports Personality of the Year: How many past winners can you name?

Sports Personality of the Year contenders

Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad

Age: 37 Sport: Cricket

Stuart Broad bowed out of cricket in 2023 with a fairytale ending. After the shock announcement he was retiring after the fifth Ashes Test, he scored a six with his last ball as a batter and took the final wicket of the match to give England victory.

It was his 22nd of a series in which he surpassed Ian Botham to become the highest wicket-taker from any nation against Australia.

He finished his career with 604 Test wickets, placing him fifth on the all-time list and behind only long-time England team-mate James Anderson among fast bowlers. He is also one of only 10 men in history to score more than 3,000 runs and take 300 wickets at Test level.

Frankie Dettori

Frankie Dettori

Age: 52 Sport: Horse racing

Frankie Dettori's farewell tour in his final year racing in the UK brought a host of big wins in his customary flamboyant style.

They included two Classics - claiming the 2000 Guineas on Chaldean and the Oaks on Soul Sister. Other successes included the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on Courage Mon Ami, and the Coronation Cup at Epsom on Emily Upjohn.

His final UK meeting was Champions Day at Ascot and, needless to say, it brought more glory. Having already won the opening race on the card, he bowed out with a last-to-first victory on King Of Steel in the Champion Stakes in his final ride on British soil before moving to the United States.

Mary Earps

Mary Earps

Age: 30 Sport: Football

Mary Earps was England's standout player as they reached the Women's World Cup final for the first time - playing every minute of their seven matches, conceding only four goals and keeping three clean sheets which helped her win the World Cup's Golden Glove award.

She was voted England Women's Player of the Year for 2022-2023 and finished fifth in the voting for the Ballon d'Or award. The Fifa Best Women's Goalkeeper was also integral as England won the inaugural Women's Finalissima with a penalty shootout defeat of Brazil in April.

In domestic football, Earps claimed the Women's Super League Golden Glove for the 2022-23 season with Manchester United, having kept a record 14 clean sheets.

Alfie Hewett

Alfie Hewett

Age: 26 Sport: Wheelchair tennis

Alfie Hewett enjoyed a stunning 2023, winning seven singles tournaments including the Australian and US Opens, and only narrowly missing out on a third Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.

His achievements also included winning the Wheelchair Singles Masters, and ending the year as world number one for the first time.

In doubles, he and Gordon Reid claimed three of the four Grand Slam titles on offer - the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon - and took their career tally to 18 titles together at the majors. He was also an integral part of the Great Britain squad that were crowned World Team Cup champions.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson

Katarina Johnson-Thompson

Age: 30 Sport: Athletics

Katarina Johnson-Thompson won her second heptathlon World Championship title in sensational style, edging out the United States' Anna Hall by just 20 points after a titanic battle in Budapest.

The Liverpudlian was 93 points behind at the end of day one but roared back the following morning, posting a huge long jump of 6.54m, and a personal best in the javelin. She then recorded another PB in the final event, the 800m, to secure an emotional gold.

Her win was even more impressive given the injury troubles that have blighted her career since tearing her Achilles after her first world gold in 2019, and which led her to questioning her future in the sport.

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy

Age: 34 Sport: Golf

After a chastening experience at the 2021 Ryder Cup, in which he was left in tears after Europe lost by a record margin to the United States, Rory McIlroy gained revenge at this year's tournament.

A talismanic performance led to him finishing as the top points scorer on either side with four out of five matches won, and Europe's victory gave the Northern Irishman his fifth Ryder Cup triumph.

On the PGA Tour, he posted a remarkable 13 top-10 finishes in 18 events, including at three of the four majors, and won the Scottish Open. He also retained the Race to Dubai title for the fifth time and spent part of the year ranked as the world number one.

Sports Personality of the Year: Terms and conditionsSports Personality of the Year: Previous winners

Who was on the judging panel?

The industry panel for this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year included former England footballer Ellen White, ex-hurdler Colin Jackson, Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds and ex-Scotland rugby international Chris Paterson.

Sports journalists Charlotte Harpur (The Athletic), David Coverdale (Daily Mail) and Rob Maul (The Sun), were also on the 2023 panel, in addition to UK Sport chair Kath Grainger and broadcaster Holly Hamilton.

Representing the BBC were director of sport Barbara Slater, head of TV sport Philip Bernie and Sports Personality of the Year executive producer Gabby Cook.

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