Who's on the shortlist for the 2017 BBC Sports Personality of the Year?

Who's on the shortlist for the 2017 BBC Sports Personality of the Year?

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Friday, 15th December 2017
This year's contenders (credit: BBC)

Twelve sportsmen and women will compete for this year’s prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. Gary Lineker, Gabby Logan and Clare Balding will present the show from the Echo Arena in Liverpool this Sunday.

The 12 contenders shortlisted for this year's award include stars from the world of tennis, athletics and boxing.

Bianca Walkden

T​aekwondo, age 26

​The fighter from Liverpool has only lost once since claiming a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics. She came within a whisker of the gold-medal match only to lose in a golden-point round.

Since then she has secured her fourth successive global title, winning the heavyweight gold in June at the World Championships.

She is the first Taekwondo fighter to be nominated for this award.

Jonathan Rea

​Motorcycling, age 30

​The Northern Irishman won 16 races in 2017, taking his career victories to 54, which is only 5 five behind all time record holder, Carl Fogarty.

Rea became the first rider to win three successive World Superbike titles, clinching his most recent with five races remaining.

He broke the record for number of points scored in a season with 556 and was also made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Anya Shrubsole

Cricket, age 26

Shrubsole was named player of the match as England claimed a dramatic victory over India to win the Women's Cricket World Cup in July.

She took five wickets in 19 balls as she claimed 6-46 -the best bowling figures in a World Cup Final.

She was also the first female cricketer to receive the Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket award after consoling South Africa captain Dane van Niekerk before celebrating with team-mates, following England's semi-final victory.

Jonnie Peacock

​Para-athletics, age 24


Peacock hopes to become the first Paralympian to win the award (credit: BBC)

Peacock was victorious at this year's World Para-athletics Championships in London, despite suffering from serious cramp in the warm up.

The man from Cambridgeshire won the T44 100m final in 10.75 seconds to take home his second world title, following success in Lyon four years earlier.

At the age of five, the double Paralympic champion had his right leg amputated below the knee after contracting meningitis. He was also a contestant in this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing.

​Anthony Joshua

Boxing, age 28


Joshua defeated Klitschko with an 11th round stoppage (credit: BBC) 

The powerhouse from Watford defended his IBF and WBA world heavyweight titles in October. He defeated Carlos Takam in Cardiff despite suffering a broken nose in the second round, in what was a fantastic performance. 

He also triumphed over the towering Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschlo at Wembley, in front of a post-war record 90,000 fans in April.

This is Joshua's first nomination for the coveted award and he hopes to be the first boxer to win it since Joe Calzaghe in 2007.

Chris Froome

Cycling, age 32

Froome ​claimed a fourth Tour de France title this year and is a SPOTY contender for the third time.

The Kenyan-born Team Sky rider also won two bronze medals at the World Championships in September, in the individual and team time trials.

​Elise Christie

​Short Track Speed Skating, age 27

​The Scot was named the 2017 Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year after becoming a triple world champion.

Christie took the 1000m, 1500m and overall titles at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Rotterdam, also winning a bronze in the 3000m in March.

​Lewis Hamilton

Formula 1, age 32

This is the fifth time Hamilton has made the shortlist, having won the award in 2014. ​​

The man from Hertfordshire clinched his fourth world title at the Mexican Grand Prix in October which makes him Britain's most successful Formula 1 driver ever.

This year also saw Hamilton break Michael Schumacher's 68 career pole positions record, the Brit now has 72.

Johanna Konta

Tennis, age 26


Konta after winning the Miami Open title in April (credit: BBC) 

​This year, Konta continued her astonishing rise in the tennis world rankings, climbing to 4th, having been 150th just two years ago.​​

Born in Australia before moving to England as a teenager, she ​became the first British women to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals since Virginia Wade in 1978.

In April she defeated Caroline Wozniacki to clinch the Miami Open title.

Adam Peaty

Swimming, age 22

​This is the fourth time Peaty has made the shortlist following another successful year in the pool.

The Olympic champion won two world titles at the World Aquatic Championships in Hungary earlier this year.

The Staffordshire swimmer broke his own world record twice in one day, retaining his 50m and 100m breaststroke titles in Budapest.

Mo Farah

​Athletics, age 34

This is the sixth time Farah has made the shortlist and he is the oldest of this year's contenders.

Farah stormed to his third consecutive world 10,000m gold at the World Championships in August, also winning a silver medal in the 5000m in London.

The four-time Olympic champion received a knighthood from the Queen at Buckingham Palace in November.

Harry Kane

Football, age 24


It's been another exceptional year for Kane (credit: BBC)

The Premier League's top goalscorer for the past two seasons​, Tottenham striker Kane was the only English player to be shortlisted for the 2017 Ballon d'Or prize.

As well as scoring six hat-tricks in 2017, Kane also captained England for the first time and sealed qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia scoring the only goal of the game against Slovenia. 

Other Awards​

In addition to the main prize, seven other awards will be presented during the ceremony for:

  • Team of the Year
  • Coach of the Year
  • Overseas Sports Personality of the Year
  • Young Sports Personality of the Year
  • Get Inspired Unsung Hero
  • Helen Rollason Award for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity
  • Lifetime Achievement Award

Watch this year's show live on BBC One this Sunday at 18.45.​

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Twelve sportsmen and women will compete for this year’s prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. Gary Lineker, Gabby Logan and Clare Balding will present the show from the Echo Arena in Liverpool this Sunday.