Keely Hodgkinson heads the shortlist of six finalists for BBC Sports Personality of the Year, but there is no place for Tour de France record-breaker Mark Cavendish.
Hodgkinson, an Olympic gold medalist in the 800 metres, has been nominated alongside teenage darts sensation Luke Littler and Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham.
England’s great batsman Joe Root, Olympic and world triathlon champion Alex Yee and Dame Sarah Storey, Britain’s most successful Paralympic athlete, make up the rest of the shortlist.
But Cavendish has been controversially omitted despite making history in July by breaking the Tour de France stage wins record with his 35th victory.
Manx Missile, who won SPOTY in 2011, had established himself as the bookies’ third favorite to win the prestigious award for the second time.
Hodgkinson, 22, remains the favorite and would become the fourth consecutive winner, after Emma Raducanu, Beth Mead and Mary Earps.
Keely Hodgkinson won the women’s 800m at the Paris Olympics over the summer for Team GB
Darts sensation Luke Littler made an impressive run to the World Darts Championship final aged just 16.
Mary Earps is the reigning winner and Hodgkinson could become the fourth consecutive winner
Littler, 17, is the second favorite after reaching the World Darts Championship final aged 16 and could become the second-youngest winner in the show’s 70-year history.
He has also been nominated for Young Sports Personality of the Year alongside skater Sky Brown and swimmer William Ellard.
Bellingham, 21, is among those shortlisted after winning La Liga and the Champions League in his first season with Real Madrid, as well as finishing third in voting for the Ballon d’Or.
He also helped England reach the final of Euro 2024, saving them in the round of 16 against Slovakia with a overhead kick in stoppage time, despite recently saying he felt he had been made a ‘scapegoat. ‘because his country did not win the tournament.
Root, 33, overtook Sir Alastair Cook as England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer in October. He has scored more Tests than anyone else in the world this year, starring in series wins against the West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand, where he scored his 36th Test century at the weekend.
Making the shortlist, Root said: “I wasn’t expecting that at all. ‘It’s something I’ve seen growing up, so it’s an honor for me to be involved in it.
“It’s been a wonderful year for the sport, so to even be considered is humbling.”
Yee is shortlisted after making a sensational comeback to win the men’s triathlon at Paris 2024, before claiming a bronze medal in the mixed relay. The 26-year-old also won his first world title.
There was no place in the shortlist of six for Mark Cavendish, who broke the record for Tour de France stage wins over the summer.
Joe Root has also been named among the nominees after surpassing Sir Alastair Cook’s England Test record.
Jude Bellingham has become one of the most outstanding midfielders in Europe after signing for Real Madrid
Alex Yee performed one of the most remarkable races in Olympic history to win triathlon gold
Sarah Storey is Great Britain’s most decorated athlete at the Paralympic Games and added two more golds in Paris
Cycling star Storey, 47, won both the C5 time trial and the C4-C5 road race at the Paralympic Games to extend her record as the most decorated British athlete at the Games, with a total total of 30 medals , including 19 gold.
The shortlist, which has been restricted to just six contenders since 2018, was compiled by a 12-person panel of judges from former BBC athletes, broadcasters, journalists and executives.
Dame Laura Kenny, Iwan Thomas, Ade Adepitan, Nedum Onuoha and Rory Best were the former athletes on this year’s panel.
“It’s a fantastic list,” said Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport. ‘All six have kept us on the edge of our seats this year, showing us how sensational they are.
“I’m looking forward to reliving each of their hits on the night and finding out who the public wants to be crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024.”
Swimmer Poppy Maskill, 19, can consider herself unlucky not to be nominated after winning five medals at the Paralympic Games, including three gold, as did wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett. The 26-year-old won the Wimbledon singles title for the first time to complete a career Grand Slam, while also claiming Paralympic gold in the men’s doubles.
Olympic mountain bike champion Tom Pidcock was also included on the shortlist, as was springboard gold medalist Bryony Page.