The wealthy historical past of athletics at BBC SPOTY

A complete of 18 athletes from athletics have picked up the distinguished award over time, greater than double the variety of the subsequent finest sport

All eyes can be on BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr this week (December 17), with Olympic 800m gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson the present favorite to take residence the highest prize.

The 22-year-old, who turned simply the third British Olympic feminine 800m champion after Kelly Holmes (2004) and Ann Packer (1964), is certainly one of six nominees for this 12 months’s award.

Hodgkinson is up in opposition to Alex Yee, Luke Littler, Sarah Storey, Jude Bellingham and Joe Root in Salford.

Yee, after turning into Olympic and world champion, can be hoping to change into the primary ever triathlete – Alistair Brownlee was closest with second in 2016 – to win BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr.

If the percentages are something to go by nonetheless, then Hodgkinson’s closest challenger for the prize can be teenage darts sensation Luke Litter, who made the World Championship last on debut and backed it up with 10 main trophies.

The final individual from athletics to change into BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr was Mo Farah in 2017 and the final feminine athlete in athletics to say the award was Holmes in 2004.

Th 18 winners from the game embody: Christopher Chataway (1954), Gordon Pirie (1955), Dorothy Hyman (1963), Mary Rand (1964), David Hemery (1968), Mary Peters (1972), Brendan Foster (1974), Steve Ovett (1978), Seb Coe (1979), Daley Thompson (1982), Steve Cram (1983), Fatima Whitbread (1987), Liz McColgan (1991), Linford Christie (1993), Jonathan Edwards (1995), Paula Radcliffe (2002) and Holmes (2004).

Christopher Chataway (1954)

Christopher Chataway’s 1954 was one for the report books. Not solely was he a pacemaker for Roger Bannister’s first sub-four-minute mile however Chataway additionally secured a gold medal over three miles on the then British Empire and Commonwealth Video games in Vancouver.

His biggest achievement nonetheless got here within the 5000m. On the European Championships in Bern, Chataway positioned second behind the Soviet Union’s Vladimir Kuts, earlier than setting a world report over the space two weeks later with 13.51.6 at White Metropolis.

Kuts would have the final giggle although, operating 13:51.2 simply 10 days after Chataway clocked his mark in London.

Chataway was the primary ever winner of BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr.

Gordon Pirie (1955)

Gordon Pirie gained the award in 1955 after famously beating the legendary Emil Zátopek – a triple Olympic champion within the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon from Helsinki 1952 – 3 times that 12 months.

His trio of wins in opposition to Zátopek got here in each the 5000m and 10,000m, with maybe essentially the most well-known coming over the latter distance at White Metropolis

On the time, Zátopek, who was the primary man in historical past to run a sub-29 minute 10,000m, was the world record-holder over 25 laps.

Dorothy Hyman (1963)

There have been no Worldwide championships within the 1963 season however Dorothy Hyman dominated domestically and nearly set a world 100m report.

Her private better of 11.3 was sufficient for the quickest European mark and so near Wilma Rudolph’s world report of 11.2.

Hyman, who secured Olympic 100m silver and 200m bronze on the Rome 1960 Video games, additionally contributed to a world report within the 4 × 110 yd relay in 1963, with the British quartet setting a time of 45.2.

Mary Rand (1964)

Mary Rand’s historic achievements on the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo meant she was a deserved winner of BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr in 1964.

The Brit set a world lengthy soar report of 6.76m within the last, beating favorite Tatyana Shchelkanova to the gold medal within the Japanese capital.

Rand additionally claimed silver within the pentathlon and was a part of the Nice Britain group that picked up bronze within the 4x100m relay.

David Hemery (1968)

David Hemery gained the Olympic 400m hurdles crown on the 1968 Mexico Video games in a world report time of 48.12.

The Brit beat West Germany’s Gerhard Hennige by nearly a second and it was the most important profitable margin within the 400m hurdles on the Olympics since 1924.

Hemery’s world report would final till 1972 when Uganda’s John Akii-Bua ran 47.82 on the Munich Olympics.

Mary Peters (1972) 

Mary Peters ‘ superb all-round efficiency within the pentathlon secured Nice Britain’s solely gold medal in athletics on the 1972 Munich Olympics.

In one of many closest ever finishes in mixed occasions on the Video games, Peters noticed off West Germany’s Heide Rosendahl, by simply 10 factors.

Peters set a world report rating of 4801 factors and acquired the gold by simply one-tenth of a second within the 200m, which was the ultimate occasion.

Brendan Foster (1974) 

Brendan Foster’s 1974 season was one for the ages. On the European Championships in Rome, he demolished a world class subject, operating a championships report of 13:17.21 to win by over six seconds on the Stadio Olimpico.

The Brit was additionally narrowly crushed to Commonwealth 5000m gold in Auckland, with Kenya’s Ben Jipcho edging out Foster – the pair clocking 13:14.4 and 13:14.6 respectively.

Foster’s world 3000m report at his residence stadium in Gateshead attracted world headlines and his time of seven:35.1 was that good that it lasted till 1978, when Kenya’s Henry Rono ran 7:32.1.

Steve Ovett (1978) 

Steve Ovett was already beginning to change into a family identify earlier than 1978 however that season took his fame to a different stage.

On the 1978 European Championships in Prague, Ovett secured a gold medal within the 1500m after which took residence silver over 800m.

His victory within the 1500m was in a championships report of three:35.59, seeing off Eire’s Eamonn Coghlan and fellow Brit Dave Moorcroft.

Earlier than his 1500m race, Ovett appeared like he was destined for the highest of the rostrum within the 800m however each he and Seb Coe had been chased down by East Germany’s Olaf Beyer.

Ovett additionally clocked a world better of 8:13.51 over two miles in 1978, handing a uncommon defeat to Henry Rono that 12 months.

Seb Coe (1979) 

Seb Coe’s three world data in 41 days in 1979 won’t ever be forgotten.

The primary two – 1:42.33 within the 800m and three:48.95 over the mile – got here in Oslo, with the third – 3:32.03 within the 1500m – set in Zurich.

It meant that Coe turned the primary individual to carry these three particular data on the similar time.

Coe was voted athlete of the 12 months by AW in 1979 and his achievements that season little doubt helped him safe an Olympic 1500m gold and 800m silver on the 1980 Moscow Video games.

He was additionally offered with the Lifetime Achievement award on the BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr in 2012.

Daley Thompson (1982) 

Daley Thompson raised the decathlon world report not as soon as however twice throughout his 1982 season.

The Olympic champion from the Moscow Video games gained that 12 months’s Götzis in a report 8730 factors, earlier than West Germany’s Jürgen Hingsen bettered it months later with 8741 factors.

Nonetheless, Thompson quickly regained his place on the highest of that record after recording 8774 factors in his win on the European Championships in Athens.

Thompson additionally retained his Commonwealth decathlon title in 1982.

Steve Cram (1983) 

Steve Cram was topped world 1500m champion in 1983, within the inaugural championships in Helsinki.

After claiming European and Commonwealth gold medals over the space a 12 months earlier, Cram knew that he was in good kind.

Nonetheless, accidents disrupted the early a part of his 1983 season, making that win within the Finnish capital much more particular, with the Brit clocking 3:41.59 in a detailed race.

Later that summer time Cram defeated Steve Ovett, who was the world 1500m record-holder on the time, in an all-time basic mile at Crystal Palace.

Fatima Whitbread (1987) 

Fatima Whitbread struck gold on the worldwide stage in 1987 after defeating East Germany’s Petra Felke in a charming last in Rome.

The Brit threw a championships report of 76.64m, with Felke, who was the world record-holder on the time, means again with a finest throw of 71.76m.

Whitbread’s profitable mark wasn’t far off her private better of 77.44m, which was the earlier world report, set a 12 months earlier.

She was additionally given the Helen Rollason award for “excellent achievement within the face of adversity”  ultimately 12 months’s BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr.

Liz McColgan (1991) 

Liz McColgan had a historic 1991 season, with success throughout each observe and highway racing.

On the World Championships in Tokyo, McColgan took aside the sphere to strike gold over 10,000m, profitable by over 20 seconds.

Just some months later she secured victory on the New York Marathon – her first race over 26.2 miles – in a time of two:27:13 – the quickest ever marathon debut by a feminine athlete.

McColgan additionally claimed a person bronze medal at that 12 months’s 1991 World Cross Nation Championships.

Linford Christie (1993) 

In 1993, Linford Christie turned the primary man in historical past to carry the Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth titles within the 100m.

His profitable time of 9.87 on the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart was that fast that it stood because the British report till 2023, when Zharnel Hughes ran 9.83 in New York.

Christie was additionally a part of the British quartet that secured 4x100m silver behind the People at these championships.

Such was the power in athletics that 12 months, Sally Gunnell completed second behind Christie at BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr.

Jonathan Edwards (1995) 

Jonathan Edwards was unbeaten all through his 1995 season and topped it off by claiming a world triple soar title in Gothenburg.

On his approach to the gold medal, Edwards broke the world report not as soon as however twice within the Swedish metropolis.

On his first soar, he turned the primary man to legally go the 18 metre barrier with a soar of 18.16m.

That lasted for a matter of 20 minutes as he cleared a staggering 18.29m in his second spherical, with that mark nonetheless the world report to at the present time.

Paula Radcliffe (2002)

Paula Radcliffe’s success in 2002 got here on the observe, roads and grass.

On the European Championships in Munich, she turned 10,000m champion, whereas the Brit additionally claimed 5000m gold at a house Commonwealth Video games in Manchester.

Earlier on that 12 months, Radcliffe triumphed within the senior ladies’s race on the World Cross Nation Championships, defeating the American pair of Deena Kastor and Colleen De Reuck in Dublin.

Radcliffe additionally made her marathon debut in 2002, setting a ladies’s solely world report of two:18:55 in London after which an outright mark of two:17:18 in Chicago.

Kelly Holmes (2004) 

Kelly Holmes turned simply the third lady in historical past to finish the Olympic 800m/1500m double after the Soviet Union’s Tatyana Kazankina in 1976 and Russia’s Svetlana Masterkova in 1996.

The Brit clocked 1:56.38 in her 800m victory after which ran a British report of three:57.90 within the 1500m.

Holmes additionally took residence the Diamond League 1500m crown in 2004, triumphing in Monaco.

Earlier than being topped BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr, Mary Rand, Ann Packer, Mary Peters, Tessa Sanderson, Sally Gunnell and Denise Lewis – the earlier six feminine Olympics British observe and subject champions – all paid tribute to Holmes.

Mo Farah (2017) 

Mo Farah’s world 10,000m title on the London Stadium introduced again reminiscences of Tremendous Saturday from London 2012.

As soon as once more, Farah triumphed over 25 laps on a worldwide stage, all in entrance of a partisan residence crowd.

It was the Brit’s seventh world gold medal, with the tally beginning all the best way again in Daegu in 2011.

Farah additionally secured a 5000m silver on the World Championships in London and have become Diamond League champion over the space later that 12 months.

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