Jenson Button, the Formula One world champion, heads the list of candidates on the shortlist, announced today, for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award to be presented on December 13.
Button, who led the F1 World Championship for much of the season after a scintillating start to the campaign which saw him win six of the first seven grands prix in his Brawn GP car, finally clinched the title in the penultimate race in Brazil, thereby becoming Britain's second consecutive Formula One world champion, following Lewis Hamilton. It is easy to forget that the man from Frome started the season without a drive after Honda's decision to pull out of the sport.
Among the other leading contenders for the prestigious BBC award are Jessica Ennis, the athlete, who ended years of frustration with injuries by claiming gold in the heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in August. Another gold medallist from Berlin, Philips Idowu, the triple jumper, is also on the shortlist, although the man with the unmistakable red hair is considered by the bookmakers to be more of a long-shot to claim the award.
David Haye, however, will be considered among the front-runners after beating Nikolai Valuev, the Russian, to become World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight champion despite being 7st (45kg) lighter than his opponent. Two judges put Haye ahead on points, with one declaring the bout a draw.
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