In a break from tradition, nominees for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2018 will be revealed on the night of the show for the first time. Viewers will then be asked to vote for their favourite via phone or online on December 16. The public will also be asked to decide the Greatest Sporting Moment of the Year, celebrating 2018’s most iconic memory. This year’s ceremony comes from the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham.
While I applaud the fact that voters won’t be restricted to names published weeks in advance, I do fear that technology may get in the way of a smooth passage. It’s only a couple of weeks since gremlins got into the machines totting up the Strictly vote so let’s hope that the BBC have invested in some new batteries to power their calculator or Gary Lineker may have to oversee a complicated game of rock, paper, scissors to find a winner.
| Sport | First place(s) | Second place(s) | Third place(s) | Total placing(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athletics | 18 | 14 | 19 | 51 |
| F1 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 14 |
| Tennis | 6 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Football | 5 | 6 | 9 | 20 |
| Boxing | 5 | 4 | 1 | 10 |
| Cricket | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| Cycling | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Figure Skating | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Golf | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| Swimming | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 |
| Eventing | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Snooker | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| Rugby Union | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Rowing | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Motorcycle Racing | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Show Jumping | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| Horse Racing | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Sailing | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Rugby League | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Triathlon | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Darts | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| CART | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Gymnastics | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Rallying | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Some names look certain to appears on the short-list. England’s football team reached the semi-finals of the World Cup and have qualified for the semi-finals of next year’s Nations League. Captain Harry Kane won the Golden Boot in Russia and continues to be an inspirational figure. He figures prominently in betting for SPOTY 2018 at a general 9/4, rivalling Geraint Thomas for favouritism, but no footballer has won SPOTY since Ryan Giggs 10 years ago. Welshman Thomas, winner of the Tour de France in July after spending so long in the shadow of Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, is 2/1 with Coral, and is the perfect advertisement for perseverance – cyclists have won SPOTY in three of the last 10 years.
Five-times world F1 champion Lewis Hamilton is a best 4/1 and is hoping to be named Sports Personality of the Year for a second time. Lennox Lewis won the award in 1999 but the current world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is 50/1 with Coral. Tyson Fury, by comparison, is just 13/2 with 888sport following his courageous and controversial draw with Deontay Wilder in his title fight in Los Angeles. Fury, of course, has a more interesting back story than Joshua.
Former England cricket captain Alastair Cook is 25/1 with Betway having signed off from international cricket with a century in his final Test against India while Dina Asher-Smith (20/1 with Betway), double gold medallist in the European Athletics Championships, and double Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold (a best 50/1) will be hoping to corner the women’s vote. Four-times world superbike champion Jonathan Rea is a general 33/1 and a cracking each-way bet with Coral offering place betting on the first three places at one-third the odds.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2018 Winners Best Odds
Geraint Thomas 2/1
Harry Kane 9/4
Lewis Hamilton 4/1
Tyson Fury 13/2
Dina Asher-Smith 20/1
Jonathan Rea 33/1
Lizzy Yarnold and Anthony Joshua 50/1
Adam Peaty 66/1
Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams, Phil Taylor, Raheem Sterling, Joe Root, Tommy Fleetwood, James Anderson, Laura Kenny, Chris Froome and Justin Rose 100/1
(Odds correct at 10.30am December 3)
