Originally Posted by dodrade:
“Rightly or wrongly the TUE leak has probably put paid to Wiggins's chances of a nomination.”
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.
Originally Posted by Muttley76:
“I reckon before the events of last night, Alistair Brownlee probably would have missed out on the short list, but in many ways what he did last night encapsulates the essence of what SPOTY is about in so much as the image of him helping his brother across the line is one that has captured the public imagination and will be remembered long after the name of the person who won the race is forgotten by most. It was a moment that transcended sport. So I feel now he is close to a dead cert to be included.”
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.
Originally Posted by owen10:
“I think the only way to the shortlist is to name all the Athletes who have won more than one Gold medal
So we have
Andy Murray
Mo Farah
Jason Kenny
Laura Trott
Max Whitlock
Kadeena Cox
Dame Sarah Storey
Sophie Christiansen
Hannah Cockcroft
Ollie Hynd”
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.