Listen: Sports Personality of the Year podcast plus Sporting Life awards
Host Dom Newton-Collinge is joined by Chris Hammer and Ben Coley to reflect on the sporting year, with a particular focus on Sunday’s six Sports Personality contenders.
Chris makes the case for Dina Asher-Smith, while our panel are in agreement that Ben Stokes would be a deserving winner of the award, which is handed out this weekend.
The other four contenders also come under the microscope, and there's time as well for our own Sporting Life awards - which include villain of the year.
Listen for free via the links below and remember to like, rate and review, as well as subscribing for future episodes.
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Sports Personality of the Year Contenders
- Sky Bet odds (correct as of 13/12/2019)
Ben Stokes
England's Cricket World Cup-winning hero Ben Stokes is favourite to win the 2019 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
The all-rounder's incredible summer with a wonder catch against South Africa in the very first match of the World Cup before ending it with an unbeaten 84 in the final which forced a nail-biting Super Over with New Zealand.
Stokes followed up his World Cup heroics with a performance for the ages in the third Ashes Test at Headingley with an incredible 135 not out which levelled the series at 1-1.
Australia ultimately retained the urn in the drawn series, but Stokes' innings is regarded as one of the greatest of all time.
Dina Asher-Smith
Dina Asher-Smith shot to stardom during the autumn thanks to four record-breaking feats during the World Athletics Championships in Doha.
First she became Britain's first ever female 100m medalist at a World Championships when taking silver but then went one better in the 200m as she went down in history as the nation's first female sprinter to win a gold at world or Olympic medal.
By doing so she also became the first British champion - male or female - over this distance at the same level, joining 100m kings Linford Christie (1992, 1993), Allan Wells (1980) and Harold Abrahams 1924 in an elite group of sprinting heroes.
A few days later she helped the 4x100m quartet take silver and become the first athlete in British history to win three medals at a World Championship.
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton secured his sixth Formula One drivers' title in November, and is now just one shy of Michael Schumacher's all-time record.
The 2019 success was his third in a row, and his race-wins record currently stands at 84 - just eight of Schumacher's total - having managed a join personal best of 11 victories in a single season.
Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling played a key role as Manchester City secured the domestic treble of Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup in 2019.
He was voted the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year and has been praised for taking a stand against racism in the game.
He has also been a key performer for England and looks set to be one of the stars at next summer's European Championship finals, which conclude at Wembley.
Alun Wyn-Jones
Alun Wyn-Jones captained Wales to Grand Slam glory in the Six Nations at the start of the year, being named player of the tournament in the process.
Jones then led Wales by example to the Rugby World Cup semi-finals in Japan, before being eliminated by eventual winners South Africa.
He has won 143 caps for Wales and the British and Irish Lions, which puts him five shy of all-time international appearance record-holder Richie McCaw of New Zealand.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson
Katarina Johnson-Thompson was Britain's second gold medalist at the World Athletics Championship, claiming victory in the heptathlon.
She set four personal bests as she finally saw off great rival Nafissatou Thiam to secure gold and breaking Jessica Ennis-Hill's British record in the process.
How to vote?
Voting will be open to the public during the Sports Personality programme on BBC One on Sunday, 15 December, so you'll only have two hours to choose your favourite!
There are two ways to vote - by phone or for free online. If you vote online, you will need a BBC account.
What other awards are given out?
- Greatest Sporting Moment
- World Sport Star of the Year
- Helen Rollason Award
- Unsung Hero
- Coach of the Year
- Team of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Young Sports Personality of the Year - Boxer Caroline Dubois
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