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Hoy and Murray shortlisted for BBC Sports Personality



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Published Date: 02 December 2008
By rich jones
SEVEN of Team GB's Olympic gold medallists have been included on the shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2008 award.
Chris Hoy, who took three first places in Beijing, is one of four members of the dominant cycling team to make the ten-strong list, along with double gold medallist Bradley Wiggins, Nicole Cooke and Rebecca Romero.

Swimmer Rebecca Adlington is ano
ther Olympian to make the cut after she tasted glory in the 400m and 800m freestyle, with sailing's Ben Ainslie and athletics star Christine Ohuruogu the other Games heroes in line for the prestigious award.

Unbeaten boxer Joe Calzaghe has the chance to retain the title he won last year after high- profile defeats of Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr in 2008, with newly-crowned Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton and US Open finalist Andy Murray completing the shortlist.

Despite Manchester United's domestic and European double last season, and the improved performances of England under Fabio Capello, no footballers have been deemed worthy of consideration by the panel of 28 sports editors who drew up the list.

There are also no Paralympians on the list despite the 102 medals, including 42 golds, picked up in Beijing.

The winner will be decided by a phone vote held during the Sports Personality of the Year show at Liverpool's Echo Arena on 14 December.

Hamilton is the odds on favourite to drive off with this year's award, according to bookmakers Ladbrokes.

Double gold-medal winning swimmer Adlington is second in the betting at 5/2, with Scotland's Hoy at 10/1.

Ladbrokes spokesman Robin Hutchison said: "Olympians were beaten to the award by racing drivers in both 1996 and 2000, so it's Hamilton all the way for us.

"The fact that there are so many of them may also split the vote this year and it may be easier for them to win the team award than the individual one."

Ladbrokes have taken more money on Hamilton than any other nominee, with stakes already well into five figures.

LATEST BETTING

2/5 Lewis Hamilton, 5/2 Rebecca Adlington, 10/1 Chris Hoy, 25/1 Andy Murray, 66/1 Joe Calzaghe, 66/1 Ben Ainslie, 100/1 Rebecca Romero, 150/1 Christine Ohuruogu 150/1 Bradley Wiggins, 150/1 Nicole Cook.





The full article contains 391 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

 
1

Montford's Jaicket,

Hanging around 02/12/2008 09:05:34
David Beckham declared that he hated these Sports Personality Awards and stated that it was unfair that he didn't have one. When he was asked what he thought he had done to merit such a prize he replied "Not an award, a personality."
2

Ewan Oosami,

02/12/2008 10:56:13
The award should be for the Sportsman/Sportswoman, the personality part is sadly lacking in many of the people who have won the award in the past.
3

The Federalist (the poster formerly know as NAUON),

02/12/2008 11:43:50
Hoy should get it but I have a feeling that Adlington will get it.

Lewis Hamilton should not even be nominated - not under this category - he should be under the team award - as F1 is a team sport. Hamilton could not have won without the efforts of his McLaren team.
4

livilion,

livingston 02/12/2008 11:52:40
Hoy and Murray? No chance, wrong accents.
5

Vincent-W,

02/12/2008 12:43:46
Before the victim culture (eg:- #4) gets too firm a grip of this thread it appears Hoy, Hamilton and Adlington are the three current favourites in descending order.

#3 - you really are a twonk - if that's your view then all the above have teams behind them of one sort or another - one of Hoy's medals was in the team sprint and you don't think he fettled his own steed do you? Adlington also competed in the team relay and was supported by a team of physios and trainers.
6

livilion,

livingston 02/12/2008 23:39:30
5 Vincent-W
Sorry pal, you're the name caller.

Hoy won his golds in athletic competition over two Olympics using his own muscles and athletic skill in four different cycling disciplines. By all reasonable measures it should be a no-contest and Hoy should walk it.
However...
On the day Hoy won his fourth Olympic gold our British media favoured the convicted drug cheat, Newham and Essex Beagles' own, Christine Ohuruogu.
When Hoy returned with his team mates from China, the London Times made him look like an uppity Jock, biting the hand that fed him by dropping him in it with the Scottish Olympic team question.
That's why I reckon his best/only chance will be as part of the GB Olympic Team or as also ran in the main prize.

Hamilton sits in a car and uses a V8 Mercedes engine to take him to glory, for which he is paid a king's ransom. He only competes in the one discipline.
After Hamilton's maiden victory in F1 he was hailed(in 'Britain') as the greatest racing driver in history.

Be realistic, is there any point in anyone else even turning up?

Murray will not figure at all as he is despised by the London media for his 'anybody but England' joke with Henman.

Now if either had been born south of Watford, or even Carlisle, can you honestly say it would not be a different story?
7

Vincent-W,

03/12/2008 09:28:14
livilion,

Ah poor little downtrodden victim livilion. "Ah'm oanly a puir wee Scoat and that means Ah'm aye pit doon by yon arrogant English folk"

In the vernacular "yer talkin p!sh man"

Listen, chummy, your sort do Scots and Scotland a great disservice - always moaning of invented and imagined bias, instead of being rightly proud of Scots achievements, and gracious when others do better. Grace is a virtue that's passed you by, by the sound of it. Thank goodness people like you are in a minority, even if it is a disproportionately loud and irritating minority.


Current 'voting' in the LONDON Times, you know that famous ENGLISH newspaper you quote when it suits and ignore when it doesn't, puts Hoy on about 40%, Hamilton on 25% and Adlington (dodgy Mansfield accent there if ever I heard one) on 15%. So on that evidence Hoy does seem to be rightly 'walking it', especially as the readership is disproportionately English.


Murray has image problems, even talking to reasonable Murray supporting Scots, they can see that (sadly not ones like you with ludicrous chips on their shoulders).

Only a fool would deny what a fantastic and skilful tennis player that he is. Personally I hope he goes on to dominate tennis for years to come and encourages young Scots (and English and Welsh and Irish) to take up the sport in droves. He does have an 'acquired' charm. Judging by his public persona (which may well be wrong) I'd rather have McEnroe, Hamilton, Adlington or Hoy round for dinner.

However, all intelligent people know fine well Murray's 'anybody but England' quip was a joke, albeit possibly ill advised. Mind, turning the tables, if Henman (or any other English sportsman) had joked 'anybody but Scotland' in the same context - you cannot deny that you and your ilk would be foaming at your apoplectic mouths for months. Oh what mileage you could get out of that!!

In the same way, Hamilton has a unique sporting talent. A level of hand and eye co-ordination w
8

Vincent-W,

03/12/2008 09:28:51
In the same way, Hamilton has a unique sporting talent. A level of hand and eye co-ordination which only a very few possess. He also appears to be highly competitive and supremely dedicated and has the ability to get a team working effectively for him. Your mithering on about whether F1 is a sport or not is as irrelevant as the huffing and puffing of the Flat Earth Society. I hope Hamilton does prove o be the best driver ever and does win ten GP drivers titles and that you choke to death on your nasty little words (sooner rather than later please!)


You are so ‘up yer own’ - at the end of the day this award is a bit of fun at the end of the sporting year, designed to promote sport as a whole and for entertainment of the viewers.

The only 'wrong accent' here is the whinging whine of Scotty boy livilion, and I hope that you never win this award!
9

Vincent-W,

03/12/2008 09:54:26
livilion

How about some of your Righteous Indignation for Wrong Accent Londoner Bradley Wiggins - heres his record of success:-

Olympic medals
2000 Summer Olympics
Bronze, Team Pursuit
2004 Summer Olympics
Gold, 4km Individual Pursuit
Silver, Team Pursuit
Bronze, Madison
2008 Summer Olympics
Gold, 4km Individual Pursuit
Gold, Team Pursuit
World Championships
1998 UCI U19 Track World Championships
Gold, 2km Individual Pursuit
2000 UCI Track World Championships
Silver, Team Pursuit
2001 UCI Track World Championships
Silver, Team Pursuit
2002 UCI Track World Championships
Bronze, Team Pursuit
2003 UCI Track World Championships
Gold, 4km Individual Pursuit
Silver, Team Pursuit
2007 UCI Track World Championships
Gold, 4km Individual Pursuit
Gold, Team Pursuit
2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
Gold, 4km Individual Pursuit
Gold, Team Pursuit (World Record Time)
Gold, Men's Madison
Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games
Silver, 4km Individual Pursuit
Silver, Team Pursuit

Other races won
2003
• Stage 1 ITT, Tour de l'Avenir
• Six Days of Ghent
2005
• Stage 2 ITT, Circuit de Lorraine
• Stage 8, Tour de l'Avenir
2007
• Prologue, Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
• Stage 1 ITT, Four Days of Dunkirk
• Stage 4 ITT, Tour du Poitou-Charentes et de la Vienne
• Stage 6 Combativity award, Tour de France
• Duo Normand (with Michiel Elijzen)
10

livilion,

livingston 06/12/2008 12:24:24
9 Vincent-W
Touched a raw nerve did we?

Wiggins should be right up there I agree, although he is not the most successful British Olympian for 100 years, but it was a shame he was up against royalty last year. Actually did the press even give him a mention?
This is not an award for sporting achievement but a media sponsored beauty contest, a la Eurovision, with the bulk of the winning votes coming from inside the M25.

I hope Hamilton does go on to be the greatest racing driver in history, he seems like a decent lad with a prodigious talent, but to rank him above Senna, Prost, Clark, Fangio, Stewart, Schumacher et al after winning one race was a bit over the top, in the same way I remember Jenson Button was going to be the next F1 champion.

"if Henman (or any other English sportsman) had joked 'anybody but Scotland' in the same context"

Except that you forget 18yo Murray's comment was a light hearted response to his pal Henman slagging off Scotland's failure to qualify for that year's World Cup finals.

You wonder why Murray has issues with the media?
Henman's anti-Scottish attack did not result in him being pilloried in the media, death threats, or being inundated with wishes that he'd been included with his dead school friends in the Dunblane school massacre.

btw I qualify to represent England, I don't even have any sporting talent.




 

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