Betting On Sports Personality Of The Year
The BBC Sports Personality of the year nominations have been announced and punters are certainly spoilt for choice. Olympic years usually provide plenty of deserving winners and the success of British athletes in Beijing means the shortlist of 10 includes seven Olympic gold medalists.
Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins and Rebecca Adlington were multiple medal winners and can count themselves unlucky to be successful in a year when their compatriots achieved so much.
Rebecca Romero, Christine Ohuruogu, Nicole Cooke and especially Ben Ainslie (three gold medals and a sliver in the last four Olympics) would have virtually been guaranteed success in years thinner on British sporting excellence – Greg Rusedski (1997), Michael Owen (1998) and David Beckham (2001) spring to mind.
However, an Olympic hero again looks set to be beaten to the trophy by a Formula One driver. Lewis Hamilton is one of the hottest favourites available in sports betting and will surely follow Nigel Mansell (1992) and Damon Hill (1996) in becoming a motor sports winner in an Olympic year.
Hamilton's success is all but guaranteed due to his agonising F1 championship defeat last year (and subsequent Sports Personality second prize), which will continue an admirable recognition of a wide range of sports (Owen and Beckham not withstanding) – in 2006, equestrian Zara Phillips, golfer Darren Clarke and gymnast Beth Twaddle made up the top three.
The dramatic nature of Hamilton’s F1 victory adds to his popularity, although punters expecting an upset will recall Joe Calzaghe's slightly surprising win last year and the Olympics effect should not be underestimated.
Hoy and Adlington embody the huge interest generated by this years games and I wouldn’t rule out one of these two edging Hamilton out.
