Sports Personality of the Year 2017: The Contenders

On December 17, the BBC will crown 2017's Sports Personality of the Year, an award that rewards the athletes who have achieved high accolades and have captured the hearts of the nation.

There are an array of sport represented this year, from the popular to the less well known. Here is my breakdown of the contenders - in alphabetical order - including my personal top 3.

Elise Christie - Short Track Speed Skating

One of the least known sportswomen this year, but Elise Christie has had a 2017 to match the achievements of anyone on the list.
The Scot became a triple world champion this year over 1000m, 1500m and overall - as well as claiming a bronze in the 3000m.
She was tipped for success at Sochi in 2014, but was penalised in all three disciplines, so her achievements this year are a great credit to her mental attitude to bounce back.

Mo Farah - Athletics

Mo Farah has had an astonishing track career. This year he took his third world championship 10,000m gold, despite nearly falling a couple of times towards the end. 
He fell short of his fifth consecutive major championship 10,000m and 5,000m double with silver in the latter.
He has probably had more successful years, but the country loves this man, achievements and personality. 

Chris Froome - Cycling

It feels like Froome is just beginning to get the recognition he deserves. He won his fourth Tour de France in July, and became only the third cyclist to complete a double win with his victory in the Vuelta a Espana.
He's not as big a personality as previous cyclist winners of the award - Cavendish, Wiggins and Hoy - but his triumphs over the past few years are exceptional. His name was tainted for a while with doping rumours, but he has ridden - excuse the pun - those claims and proven that he is simple a fantastic athlete.

Lewis Hamilton -  Formula 1

Hamilton became Britain's most successful driver with his title victory in 2017. A fourth world title, earned in a fiercely contested fight with Sebastian Vettel, has put Lewis Hamilton among the greats in the sport.
The Hertfordshire born driver also took Schumacher's career pole record this season as well, moving to 72 pole positions, and that is sure to climb in 2018.

Anthony Joshua - Boxing

Everyone's favourite boxer, Anthony Joshua has extended his professional unbeaten record, along with his record of a KO or TKO in each of those fights. 
His 2017 highlight undoubtedly came in April when Joshua came up against the legend of boxing that is Wladimir Klitschko. In front of a home crowd at Wembley, Joshua, despite being knocked to the floor in the sixth round, beat Klitschko in the eleventh round to take him to the next level.
He defended his WBA and INF world heavyweight titles with victory over Carlos Takam in October.

Harry Kane - Football
He's not been too bad for a one season wonder. Harry Kane continues to break any boundaries that people set him. He has scored six hat-tricks in 2017 and finished with the Premier League Golden Boot for the second consecutive season. 
He was the only Englishman to be nominated for the Ballon D'Or this year, which speaks volumes for what he's achieved this year.

Johanna Konta - Tennis

Konta has subtly had a very, very good 2017. She rose to fourth in the world rankings, having been 150th at the start of 2015.
She also became the first woman since Virginia Wade in 1978 to reach the semi-final of Wimbledon. She faced Venus Williams in this tie, which proved one game too far for the Australian born Brit. 
She also took the Miami Open from Wozniacki in April, which spring boarded her up the rankings and got her 2017 up and running.

Jonnie Peacock - Para-athletics

Most people might be more familiar with Peacock as a competitor on the current series of Strictly Come Dancing, but Peacock has had many other achievements this year than tearing up the dance floor.
Peacock overcame cramp before his race in the World Para-Athletics Championships to take gold in the T44 100m Final, running it in 10.75s.
This was his second world title, following his win in Lyon four years previous.

Adam Peaty - Swimming

Adam Peaty has become Britain's most successful swimmer this year. In one day he won two world titles AND broke his own world record twice at the World Aquatic Championships in Hungary.
Peaty currently holds every position in the top 10 of fastest times in 100m breaststroke history, and became the first person to swim the 50m breaststroke in under 26 seconds.
You can read a blog I wrote on Adam Peaty earlier this year by clicking here.

Jonathon Rea - Motorcycling

One of the least known sportsmen on the list, Rea took his third consecutive World Superbike championship with five races still to go in the season.
Rea also beat a 15-year-old record for the most points scored in a season - 556.
Rea has now taken his career total wins 54, five behind the all-time leader, former King of the Jungle, Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty.

Anya Shrubsole - Cricket

Anya Shrubsole was named player of the match in the Cricket World Cup Final as England secured a dramatic victory over India at Lords.
Shrubsole took five wickets in 19 balls to finish with bowling figures of 6-46, the best figures seen in a World Cup Final. 
She also became the first woman to win the Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket award for consoling South Africa's captain before celebrating with her own team mates after the World Cup semi-final.

Bianca Walkden - Taekwondo

Walkden claimed her fourth successive global title with heavyweight gold at the World Championships in June.
Having lost only once since the Rio Olympics last summer, Walkden became the first British taekwondo fighter to win back-to-back world gold medals in South Korea.
The Liverpool-born fighter then went on to win Grand Prix events in London, Moscow and Morocco. 

So, who should win?
1. Anthony Joshua
2. Chris Froome
3. Anya Shrubsole

Those are my choices for the main awards. But here is a quick prediction for the other award winners.

Overseas Sports Personality 
Tom Brady - NFL

Team of the Year
England Women's Cricket

Coach of the Year
Simon Middledton

Young Sports Personality
Millie Knight

Special Achievement
Jermaine Defoe - Now I wish he had been selected for the main award, but for the time and effort he put in with Bradley Lowery, I believe he deserves some acknowledgment. 

Who do you think should win? Who do you think is unlucky not to be nominated? Share and comment.

You can read my other blogs at ScriptEye and I Can't Write Words here.