The 2023 SPOTY shortlist is…well…a little spotty. Of the six named, my vote would go for Katarina Johnson-Thompson. Her world athletics championships heptathlon gold, after an epic tussle with Anna Hall, represented a best-in-class achievement.
With her injury backstory, it was also a glorious tale of resilience. But it has not been a vintage year for British sport – a fact underlined by the presence of a golfer, Rory McIlroy, who for all his Ryder Cup passion, did not win a Major, and two other candidates, Stuart Broad and Frankie Dettori, who really should be in the lifetime achievement frame.
The pair of them provided some memorable sepia snapshots this year but you couldn’t say it was the best of either of their golden careers.
Alfie Hewett did have a great 2023 but the biggest prize, Wimbledon, eluded him as did the World Cup for Mary Earps despite her penalty-saving heroics against Spain in the final.
Earps is the favourite but would England’s goalkeeper keeping the sports personality of the year award in the Lionesses family really send the right message at the awards? Toasting second best?
If SPOTY is about celebrating the best of British (and, apparently, Italian) then shouldn’t that mean the award goes to a global champion? That would be Johnson-Thompson. If nothing else the SPOTY shortlist always provokes a lively sporting debate.
Swimmer Matt Richards, who won the 200m freestyle at the world aquatics championships as well as the relay, would have been a deserving nominee.
Athlete Josh Kerr, who took down Jakob Ingebrigtsen in a fabulous 1500m final at the world championships, also had a case.
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As did Lucy Charles-Barclay, the world ironman champion. But the noisy disgruntlement from the Ronnie O’Sullivan fan club at his omission was misplaced.
Winning yet another UK Championship 30 years on from his first was a remarkable achievement but missing out on the world title this year made his exclusion from the shortlist the right call.
The Crucible is snooker’s ultimate and this was Luca Brecel’s year, not O’Sullivan’s.
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