Following the announcement of six contenders, we’re taking a look at the 2020 Sports Personality of the Year odds to see who is fancied to claim this prestigious award.
The winner will be revealed on December 20 via a live broadcast from Media City in Salford, with voting open to the public during that programme.
Marcus Rashford will receive special recognition for his charity work, but these are the stars in the running to lift the main trophy:
LEWIS HAMILTON @ 2/5
Hamilton got the nod for this gong in 2014 and has also been the runner-up four times, including when second to Geraint Thomas and Ben Stokes in the last couple of renewals.
The 35-year-old from Stevenage has already wrapped up a seventh Formula One world title, tying Michael Schumacher’s record.
He now holds the outright record for race wins, pole positions and podium finishes and is by any measure one of Britain’s most successful sportspeople.
Hamilton has also been an outspoken supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and an advocate for equality within Formula One.
Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill are other F1 drivers who have topped the voting in past years.
HOLLIE DOYLE @ 3/1
This nomination – the first from horse racing since Tony McCoy finished third in 2013 – is the latest milestone in an incredible year for jockey Doyle, who has been heavily backed after initially being quoted at 33/1.
In August, the 24-year-old became the first woman to win five races on the same card in the UK, at odds of 899/1 at Windsor, and in October she broke her own record for the most winners in a calendar year by a female jockey when she reached 117.
In the same month, Doyle, who finished fourth in this year’s race for the Flat jockeys’ championship, registered a brilliant double on Champions Day at Ascot, which included her first win at Group One level, aboard Glen Shiel.
She also claimed her first Royal Ascot win in June, with Scarlet Dragon, and was recently named Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year.
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN @ 12/1
While this is a first SPOTY nomination for O’Sullivan, it would be fair to say success is nothing new to the 44-year-old, regarded by many as snooker’s greatest player.
An 18-8 victory over Kyren Wilson at the Crucible in August made him world champion for a sixth time, equalling the tallies of Steve Davis and Ray Reardon, one behind record-holder Stephen Hendry.
It also saw him overtake Hendry at the top of the all-time list of ranking event wins, with 37, and he has a record 20 Triple Crown titles.
The oldest world champion since a 45-year-old Reardon in 1978, the ‘Rocket’ first got his hands on the trophy in 2001, with further triumphs following in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2013.
Davis is the only snooker player to have won the award in 1988 and O’Sullivan is the first to be nominated since Hendry in 1990.
JORDAN HENDERSON @ 20/1
Henderson’s growth from Liverpool misfit to Champions League and Premier League-winning captain has earned him a spot on the shortlist.
There would have been long Sports Personality of the Year odds against that being the outcome when he turned down a move to Fulham in 2012 to fight for his place at Anfield.
But in the intervening eight years, Henderson has made himself an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Henderson has also made an impact off the pitch and was widely praised for his leading role in football’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bobby Moore, Paul Gascoigne, Michael Owen, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs are other footballers to have come out on top.
TYSON FURY @ 25/1
Fury took a remarkable comeback to new heights in February when he won his rematch against Deontay Wilder, with a superb performance over seven rounds, to claim the WBC heavyweight title.
After securing the WBA, WBO and IBF crowns with victory over Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015, the self-proclaimed Gypsy King did not have another bout for two-and-a-half years, during which time he battled depression and ballooned in weight.
Fury went on to fight out a memorable draw with Wilder in Los Angeles in December 2018 three bouts into his return, before this year’s Las Vegas rematch made him world champion again.
Henry Cooper, Barry McGuigan, Lennox Lewis and Joe Calzaghe are former boxers to have prevailed.
STUART BROAD @ 100/1
The pace bowler became only the second Englishman after his long-time team-mate Jimmy Anderson to take 500 Test wickets during the third match against West Indies this summer.
Having been left out of the first match, the 34-year-old returned with a point to prove and made it superbly. He took 16 wickets in two matches, with 10 wickets and 62 runs in the third Test.
In the following series against Pakistan, he claimed 13 wickets in three matches.
Broad has been a key member of the England Test side since making his debut in 2007 and has been part of four Ashes-winning teams, as well as the side that won the World T20 in 2010.
Stokes was the fifth cricketer to prevail last year, following on from Jim Laker, David Steele, Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff.
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Sports Personality of the Year betting
