They will have the usual moment of reflection montage to remember those who have passed away.

When Dan Carter won Overseas Personality last year he spoke about Jonah Lomu during his interview.

There have been some big sporting names though that have died this year, Muhammed Ali of course as you mentioned but also Arnold Palmer, Johann Cruyff just to add a couple really big names as well.

Ali might get a special mention having won Sports Personality of the Century in 1999.

Katherine Grainger has much to be proud of, but I don't think she deserves the life-time achievement award. There are 46 people getting a gold medal in rowing every year, so while you have to admire her willingness to come back year after year, she's able to do this because there are so many categories and British rowers get support that simply wouldn't be practical in many other countries.

I don't think a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award should have won the main thing, but they should have been a serious contender at least a couple of times, and I don't think she has. Being in a sport for years obviously counts for a lot, but within the context of what the normal career length is for that sport.

It's interesting how discussion around the life time achievement award tends to be about people recently retired or those who retired in the last few years. There a whole raft of sporting greats from years ago that I feel are in danger of being overlooked and never being recognised due to this.

Yeah, if you don't win it when you retire, then are you forgotten about?

IMO, they should be placing more weight on the contribution from athletes after they retire from competing. If they go onto promote the sport and inspire the next generation, that should be bonus points.

Would like to see Steve Davis get lifetime achievement, but think Michael Phelps, Tanni Grey Thompson and Jessica Ennis Hill are potential winners of this award

When Matt Pinsent hasn't won it, I cannot see how Kath Grainger will.

There are a heck of a lot of people who have been retired for a lot longer than Steve Davies who haven't got even a mention in regards to this award, so perhaps others should be ahead of him in any perceived line for this award.

The 2016 BT Sport Action Awards were held yesterday.

Rachel Atherton took the night's main award, which is impressive as she was the only nominee who didn't compete in Rio (for obvious reasons) - not that it affects the quality of her achievements.

The GB hockey squad took the team award; the award for Lifetime Achievement went to Katherine Grainger, funnily enough.

Another nominee for consideration for lifetime achievement award could David Weir?

48 hours to go and this is how the betting stands with Ladbrokes

Murray 1/7
Brownlee 8/1
L Kenny 25/1
Farrah 33/1
Bale 50/1
Skelton 50/1
Vardy 66/1
Whitlock 100/1
J Kenny 150/1
Adams 200/1
Storey 200/1
Peaty 200/1
Willett 200/1
Christiansen 200/1
Richardson-Walsh 200/1
Cox 200/1

A top three from Rio is a certainity I think, Andy as the winner, Mo second, and (for me Cox but I think it might go elsewhere) one of the newly married couple to take third spot, most likely then Laura.

i would agree with that top 3. I think that Mo and Laura Trott are the most likely ones to finish 2nd and 3rd. I cant see Brownlee being in the top 3 somehow.

Can't see why he should be - although he can't get one than more medal in his event.

its all rather silly , as Mo and both Kenny's are at least as dominant in their sport as Murray .The multiple Olympic medla repeaters probably stand alone - followed by the double medalists from this year and the repeaters from 2012. You can't really compare the people on those lists though, so the size of fan base and any regional base will determine.

The BBC list isn't even consistent , I have no idea why Nicola Adams is there and Jade Jones isn't. Jones repeated 2012 as well, and was even more dominant in her Olympic performances. It looks like when they had made the list look wide enough to satisfy football fans, and catered for the paraolympians, they had run out of enough slots , and cut regardless of case.

I agree Jade Jones, should definitely be on the list, it is a bit of a farce that the best sports person in Wales, cannot make the best Sports person in the UK list, something is a bit off there!

Interesting to see quite a bit of money coming in on Nick Skelton to make the top 3 backed right down to 3rd most likely to place top 3 behind Murray and Brownlee.

http://www.oddschecker.com/awards/sp...r/top-3-finish

Not sure I see it myself, though i imagine his VT will be very emotional.

That said it was my personal favourite olympic moment.

1 - The panel probably didn't use a psychic to tell them who would win the Welsh award before they announced the SPOTY nominations

2 - The contest in Wales is voted for just by Welsh viewers etc, this one isn't. Two totally different competitions and events.

1) Simple answer then wait until the regions have had their respective awards, then put the winners on the shortlist, not really that hard to do is it?

2) Not really that different, the people of Wales will still be eligible to vote for the main award, as will Scottish, and I think Irish voters as well, so there is a crossover of people voting.

Jones did what Adams did - and holds an equivalent batch of non olympics titles. . Murray has the same claim - just in a bigger, televised, sport with more viewers . Skelton has just got one medal.

Its not their job to select on political grounds, or to select people on the basis of just how big their sport is, whether its on the BBC, or their guess how much competition there is in that sport. English football is so poor by global standards , its dubious how you could justify anyone from there. on the last grounds.

I don't think there is much value in squabbling about the inclusion or exclusion of people on the fringe of the debate when who is 'worthy' is a purely subjective matter of opinion. It just highlights that extending the shortlist to 16 is pointless because you still cannot come up with a shortlist that pleases everyone. So for me, they should have stuck to 12 at the most.

Really ? So only one Scot, one Welshman, Irishman etc should be eligible ? And that person is only chosen by the people living in that region ? Talk about segregation. As Belgium or Somalia don't get a vote then poor Bradley Wiggins and Mo Farah would not have gotten a look in. Or why not let the UK vote on U.K. sports personality ? Not hard is it ?

Just because one region votes for it, it doesn't mean everyone will. Look at Brexit for an example

What the heck are you on about, bizarre ramblings.

The point being made is that you can have more than one Welsh person, Scottish person (not just men as you suggest) etc, but the winner from each region should be on the main shortlist, as if you are talking about the best sports person from the whole of the UK, then not having the winners from each region is a tad bit bizarre.

This has got zero, nothing to with segregation, to mention it as such shows that you really don't understand the point the being made, Lord only knows why you bring in or up Mo or Sir Bradley's countries of birth, they are English, as that is what they classify themselves as, so talking about other countries is just totally irrelevant.

Adams is both black and lesbian ticking two diversity boxes at once, which, given her and Jones' sporting achievements were equal, would give her the edge.

It is ridiculous that Michael Bisping isn't even shortlisted. Murray will win and deservedly so, he is Britain's top sportsman for many a year. BBC shows ridiculous bias when it comes to which sports they consider "worthy" and which not.