The BBC has announced who is in contention for the prestigious title of Sports Personality of the Year 2021, with a list recognising heroes from the world of tennis, football and boxing, as well as several Olympians.
The six nominees include diver Tom Daley, who is coming off a stellar performance at this year’s Olympic Games held in Tokyo, where he picked up his first gold medal in the synchronised 10m platform event, teaming up with Matty Lee.
The nation was engrossed in the story of Emma Raducanu over the summer, as the 19-year-old soared through the ranks of world tennis with her win at the US Open, ending a decades-long wait for a British women’s Grand Slam singles champion.
Likewise, most of the country tuned into England’s nail-biting Euro 2020 final, with the agonising result not detracting from an excellent performance from our Three Lions – with Raheem Sterling recognised as one of the standouts, having also enjoyed a strong season in the Premier League.
He may not have made it to the Strictly Come Dancing final, but Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty still has plenty to celebrate this year, taking home gold at Tokyo 2020 and securing a place among the SPOTY 2021 nominees.
It was also a big year for Dame Sarah Storey, who became Team GB’s most successful Paralympian of all-time, after picking up an astonishing 17th gold medal at this year’s Games in Tokyo.
Boxer Tyson Fury is also up for the top prize, after retaining his WBC title in a thrilling match against rival Deontay Wilder, which took place in Las Vegas in October.
Selecting a winner out of these six heroes will be no easy task, with voting to take place by phone and online during the show, which will be broadcast live at the end of the week.
Sports Personality of the Year will be broadcast live on BBC One on Sunday 19th December 2021. Check out more of our Sport coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.