BBC Sports Personality of the Year
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The BBC Sports Personality of the Year award is given to one sportsman or sportswoman, usually British, every year. The award was originally devised by the BBC producer Paul Fox in 1954 and continues to be organised annually by the BBC. The award is voted for by the general public towards the end of the calendar year, and is one of the most prestigious all-sport awards in British sport. The only people to win the award twice are the boxer Henry Cooper and the Formula One drivers Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill. Both HRH The Princess Anne, in 1971, and her daughter Zara Phillips, in 2006, have won the award, marking the only time two members of the same family have won the award. A number of other awards are presented at the ceremony including the team, young personality and overseas personality awards.
Despite the existence of a separate "Overseas Sports Personality of the Year Award", non-British nationals are not exempt from the main prize. Irishman Barry McGuigan won the Award in 1985, and Italian jockey Frankie Dettori finished in third place in the voting in 1996, for example. However both of these men made much of their careers in the UK. Of the fifty-four awards given since 1954, forty-five of them have been to Englishmen/women, three to Scotsmen/women, three to Welshmen, one to an Irishman and one to a Canadian.
In 2003, the 50th Anniversary of the show was marked by a five part series on BBC One called Simply the Best which was presented by Gary Lineker and formed part of a public vote to find the all time Golden Personality. It was won by Sir Steve Redgrave. Steve Rider and Martyn Smith also wrote a book that looked back at the 50 year history of the award and programme.
From 2007, the event has been supported by Robinsons soft drinks, a division of Britvic.
Contents |
[edit] List of winners
[edit] Victories by sport
| Sport | Number of Victories | First Winner | Last Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formula One | 6 | 1961 | 1996 |
| Boxing | 5 | 1967 | 2007 |
| Middle-Distance Running | 5 | 1955 | 2004 |
| Long-Distance Running | 4 | 1954 | 2002 |
| Football | 4 | 1966 | 2001 |
| Cricket | 4 | 1956 | 2005 |
| Figure skating | 4 | 1976 | 1984 |
| Equestrianism | 3 | 1960 | 2006 |
| Sprint and Hurdles | 3 | 1963 | 1993 |
| Tennis | 3 | 1969 | 1997 |
| Golf | 2 | 1957 | 1989 |
| Swimming | 2 | 1958 | 1962 |
| Athletics – Horizontal jumps | 2 | 1964 | 1995 |
| Athletics – Pentathlon/Heptathlon/Decathlon | 2 | 1972 | 1982 |
| Motorcycle sport | 1 | 1959 | 1959 |
| Cycling | 1 | 1965 | 1965 |
| Athletics – Throwing events | 1 | 1987 | 1987 |
| Snooker | 1 | 1988 | 1988 |
| Rowing | 1 | 2000 | 2000 |
| Rugby union | 1 | 2003 | 2003 |
[edit] List of other BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards
- BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year
- BBC Scotland Sports Personality of the Year
- BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team Award
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Young Personality
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year Unsung Hero Award
- 1999 - Muhammad Ali is given the one-off BBC Sports Personality of the Century Award
- 2005 - Lord Coe is given a special award for his role in securing the 2012 Summer Olympics with the London bid
- 2006 - David Walliams is given a special award for swimming the English Channel
[edit] 2007 nominees
- Joe Calzaghe (boxer) (Overall Winner)
- Lewis Hamilton (Formula One racing driver) (second place)
- Ricky Hatton (boxer) (third place)
- Andy Murray (tennis player)
- Christine Ohuruogu (Athletics)
- Paula Radcliffe (Athletics)
- Jason Robinson (Rugby Union)
- Justin Rose (Golf)
- James Toseland (Motorcycling)
- Jonny Wilkinson (Rugby Union)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ BBC Sports Personality Past Winners. BBC Sport (2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-16.
[edit] External links
fr:Sportif de l'année (BBC Sports) no:BBC Sports Personality of the Year simple:BBC Sports Personality of the Year
