No chance , masters green jacket much much more bigger - there's not a living professional golfer who would choose a gold medal over a masters victory ! A major golf victory trumps a Olympic gold in golf , in my opinion Willet trumps rose .

Again, you are missing the point. SPOTY is not purely about the achievement, it's about impact. Note, for example, that Jo Pavey finished 3rd a couple of years ago even though the level of competition she faced to take european and commonwealth gold was not that great. Her victories made a big impact because of her backstory resonating with people.

Rose has a better narrative than Willet and his win made more of an impact than an event tucked away on TV seen by a small audience in this country. Rose championed the olympics, enthused about it, lived and breathed the experience. Hit a hole in one. Won a thrilling victory watched by millions of people. If he goes on to have an excellent Ryder Cup I see an outside chance of the combined giving him a shot at making the shortlist.

When they come to deciding the shortlist, I am struggling to see who amongst those responsible is going to be fighting for Willet's place on the shortlist when the difficult decisions have to be made.

I think the only way to do the shortlist is to name all the Athletes who have won more than one Gold medal

So we have

Mo Farah
Jason Kenny
Laura Trott
Max Whitlock
Kadeena Cox
Dame Sarah Storey
Sophie Christiansen
Hannah Cockcroft
Ollie Hynd
Georgia Armitage
Stephanie Millward
Bethany Firth


Now how are they going to narrow it down because i dont think they can nominate everyone who has won more than one Gold medal

If nominated I reckon Alistair Brownlee is a shoe in now

That would leave 2 places for Willet or froome or Joshua or Hamilton so I think your Olympian short list works and would make life easier for the panel or less of a headache

I've missed the details of his leak, but he didn't have a chance prior to that. He's just not achieved enough this year, especially compared with other cyclists. Well ahead of him are Jason Kenny, Laura Trott, Sarah Storey, Chris Froome, Kadeena Cox, and if he counts, Alistair Brownlee.


I think he had a decent chance of making the list, despite not doing so last time. His personal profile, and that of triathlon has risen since 2012, and rightly or wrongly in an award supposed to be based on achievements this year, those who defended their Olympic titles have more cachet. There's a bit more attention and pressure to start with, so it's deserved. I missed it, but by all accounts a lot of people were watching the triathlon live, and were glued to it.

The people deciding the short-list may not be swayed by viewing figures, but they can't ignore the buzz.


I feel that's a bit unfair, because some disciplines are easier to double-up on, but it's definitely going to take more than any old gold. It seems wrong to say it, but getting a single gold in cycling or rowing just isn't that special*!

* In the context of SPOTY, not life. They're all amazing.

There is absolute NO WAY on this earth that Andy Murray will NOT be on that shortlist.

I was just naming the ones who have won more than one Gold medal but Andy did win in London as well so he has two Gold medals

so did Brownlee....

You right and he defended his Olympic title just like Andy did, so he should be on the shortlist as well

what about:
Natasha Baker
Sophie Wells
Stephen Bate
Hannah Russell
Jody Cundy
John Walker
Libby Clegg

also:

Charlotte Dujardin
Nicola Adams
Joanna Rowsell
Helen Glover
Heather Stanning

and quite a few more....


It's not a sensible way to decide the shortlist in any case.

Wow i did not realise so many Paralympians won more than one Gold medal

Looks like they will have to do a shortlist of Twenty people, so you can include others from different sports

It wont "just" be olympians. If Hamilton wins another world title he will be on the list too.

If possible add Frome and Ali Browllee to make it to 14, but those names should all be on the list for sure.


Not Hamilton for me this year.

they had 12 in 2012, they can't justify more than that, its not logistically practical as they only have so much time in the show.

It really should just be Paralympians and Olympians this year, such is the success of those two games.

It is their show, on their channel, just extend the show if needs be, what would be wrong about doing that?
They are surely in control of their own schedule!

because live TV costs a lot of money for one thing. Also, the more people on the shortlist you have, the less fair it becomes to those being promoted earlier in the show.

And for an award to be meaningful you have to have a sensible shortlist. A short list should be short, not long. Thats the whole point of it.

ETA: even if you included 20, people would still moan that person x did just as much as person y and should be on the list instead. Better to just bite the bullet and make tough choices.

Don't talk such ridicule.

1 - you are setting a dangerous precedent because some Olympic years are not as successful

2 - You are saying. Sports Review of the YEAR...although for 11 months of it, we don't give a toss what anybody else didl

3 - you are belittling the achievements of others in that year. Danny Willet won the biggest prize in golf. You ask Justin Rose if he would swap his gold medal for a green jacket. I think we all know the real answer.

Also something I don't understand, for one who bangs the Olympic and Paralympic drum so loudly, why do you want an American basketball player no sod has heard of to win the Lifetime Achievement ? Surely somebody like Tanni Grey Thompson would be more fitting ??

The masters green jacket is the elite of the elite in golf - I did say earlier Willet trumps rose and 100% has to be on that short list , he will be the only golfer on that list , if there is a golfer on that list

it is SPOTY 2016, not 2012. What they did 4 years ago is irrelevant

I was just pointing out that a number of people retained their Olympic titles and this might be reflected in the final shortlist

Since you went to the trouble of putting your points in numerical oder, I will respond to them like that:-

1) I am not setting a dangerous precedent, as this has been an exceptional year, as this is the first time for example a country has improved on their medal totals at an Olympics after hosting it, so this is not a normal year, and thus this should be reflected in the this list.

2) It is no longer called Sports Review of the Year, it is Sports Personality of the Year.
Far from putting down, or as you put it "not giving a toss about anyone else", this is just a reflection of the super high standards that have been seen at both the Room games.

3) Again I am no putting anyone's achievements down, and if you listen to what Rose has said, he has spoken very eloquently about quite how much his gold medal has meant to him, and how much the golf in the Olympics was such a good experience for him.

As for my nomination of Kobe Bryant for the Lifetime Achievement award, how have you come to the conclusion that "no sod has heard of him"?
As for Tanni-Grey, she would be a very good option no doubt about that, I just think Kobe has achieved so much, and it would be such a good way to honour such a highly successful career.

I don't see brownlee making the list - I see a lot of buzz for him , but a few weeks ago I saw the same buzz generated for Skelton , it's gonna have to be more than just buzz to get them on the shortlist - double gold is the cut me feels , would make the short list process easier to compile .