Sports Personality of the Year: Runners and riders for prestigious BBC accolade

Samuel Lovett

Updated 15 December 2017 at 7:55 am

Anthony Joshua and Johanna Konta have both enjoyed a successful year in their respective sports: Getty

The BBC Sports Personality of the year will be announced on Sunday night, with Anthony Joshua the leading favourite to land the prestigious award.

The boxer is expected to follow in the footsteps of Andy Murray and Sir Bradley Wiggins, both of whom have lifted the accolade in recent years.

Joshua faces competition from the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Sir Mo Farah who have enjoyed equally successful years within their respective sports.

Here, we take a closer at the 12-person shortlist:

Anthony Joshua (Boxing)

The 29-year-old is the clear favourite to land the award following a successful 12 months in the ring. The Briton consolidated his status as one of the sport’s most exciting talents earlier this year after beating Wladimir Klitschko via technical knockout in the 11th round of their heavyweight bout. In doing so the hugely popular London 2012 Olympic champion added the WBA and IBO belt to his existing IBF title. He went on to defend his IBF title against late replacement Carlos Takam in October. The boxer’s next opponent is likely to be New Zealander Joseph Parker before a potential unifying bout against America’s Deontay Wilder.

Anthony Joshua celebrates after his victory over Wladimir Klitschko (Getty Images)

Odds: 1/7

Lewis Hamilton (Formula One)

The Englishman made history in late October as he claimed a fourth world championship title, joining Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel as drivers with four or more titles.

That achievement also saw Hamilton become Britain’s most successful F1 driver. The 32-year-old currently holds records for the all-time most career points (2,610), the most wins at different circuits (24), the all-time most pole positions (72) and the most grand slams in a season (3).

Odds: 7/1

Sir Mo Farah (Athletics)

Farah bowed out from track running at the World Championships in London earlier this year, clinching gold in the 10,000m and silver in the 5,000m. The 34-year-old was unable to sign off with a golden double, as had been hoped, but is still set to go down in British history as the nation’s greatest long-distance track runner. He is Britain’s most decorated athlete, too, with ten global titles, and was knighted at the start of the year for his services to athletics.

Farah took gold in the 10,000m at the World Championships (Getty Images)

Odds: 33/1

Chris Froome (Cycling)

Froome become the third man in cycling history to successfully complete the Tour-Vuelta double in the same season. After riding to his fourth Tour de France title in July, beating Rigoberto Uran by 54 seconds, Froome then went on to become the first British rider to win La Vuelta two months later.

His performances have fallen under scrutiny in recent days, however, after a urine sample provided during La Vuelta showed he had twice the permitted level of asthma drug Salbutamol in his system. As such, Froome now faces the possibility of a ban from the sport and could see his 2017 titles stripped from his name.

Odds: 33/1

Harry Kane (Football)

The Tottenham forward has enjoyed a prolific year on the pitch, notably finishing the 2016/17 season as Golden Boot winner for a second successive campaign. He was also England's leading scorer in their successful World Cup qualifying campaign. Kane has scored 22 goals for club and country so far this season and has subsequently been linked to La Liga giants Real Madrid.

Odds: 40/1

Harry Kane is one of the Premier League's most in-form strikers (Getty)

Jonathan Rea (Motorcycling)

The Northern Irishman enjoyed a record-breaking season in World Superbikes, becoming the first rider to win the title three years running.

Odds: 40/1

Jonnie Peacock (Paralympics)

The sprinter returned to the London Stadium five years after he became one of the faces of the 2012 Paralympic Games to regain the T44 100m at the World Para Athletics Championships in the summer, a title he last won in 2013.

Odds: 66/1

Peacock regained the T44 100m (Getty Images)

Adam Peaty (Swimming)

The 22-year-old Olympic champion retained his 100m and 50m breaststroke titles at the World Championships this year, breaking his own world record twice in the shorter event and becoming the first man to swim the distance in under 26 seconds, clocking in at 25.95 seconds. In October he received an MBE.

Odds: 66/1

Johanna Konta (Tennis)

Konta rose to prominence with her impressive run at Wimbledon, becoming the first British woman since Virginia Wade in 1978 to reach the last four of the tournament. She notably saw off Caroline Garcia and Simona Halep on her way to the semis in two of the most entertaining matches of the competition. The British No 1 also claimed the biggest win of her career at the Miami Open, where she beat Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki in the semis and final. She reached her best singles world ranking of four over the summer as a result of her on-court success.

Odds: 100/1

Konta enjoyed her best season to date this year (Getty)

Anya Shrubsole (Cricket)

England's medium-pacer was the hero of the World Cup final on home soil at Lord's. She claimed six for 46, the best figures in a final, to turn the match on its head with India needing just 38 from 44 balls with seven wickets in hand.

Odds: 100-1

Elise Christie (Speed-skating)

The short-track skater became the first European woman to win the 1,000m, 1500m and overall gold at the World Championships in Rotterdam in March.

Odds: 200/1

Elise Christie celebrates after her victory in Rotterdam (Getty Images)

Bianca Walkden (Taekwondo)

Walkden successfully defended her world taekwondo heavyweight crown in South Korea before winning back-to-back Grand Prix events, including her maiden title in Moscow in August.