Sports Personality of the Year

With Bradley Wiggins progressing well in the Tour De France and the Olympics on the horizon now seems a great time to assess the runners, riders, jumpers, swimmers (and various other activities) in the market for Sports Personality of the Year.

Britain has never had a Tour De France winner, but Bradley Wiggins is looking good at the moment. Wiggins is currently 2/1 (betfred/Coral/william hill) to win this award and looks a deserved favourite. Cyclists have won the award in two of the last four years, with Mark Cavendish winning in 2011 and Chris Hoy in 2008. I could not put anyone of their interest in Wiggins because his feat is a remarkable one.

A word of caution though, the year is still just seven months old though and we still have plenty of time for more great British sporting moments of glory. The Olympics, in particular, often a wonderful platform for someone to become a firm candidate for the award. London 2012 will dominate the media throughout the few weeks of the Olympics and we can expect new heroes to be born. Jessica Ennis is 4/1 (bet365) to claim the award and if she lands the heptathlon gold this price will fall. Ennis is a great athlete with a remarkable career, but more so she is a very likeable personality who is very photogenic. Personality is an important thing to consider with this award.

The last three Olympic years have seen the award being won by an Olympics athlete (Chris Hoy in 2008, Kelly Holmes in 2004 and Steven Redgrave in 2000). Other Olympians in the mix are distance runner Mo Farrah 9/1 (Skybet/Stan James/Coral). Farrah is another likeable guy who if he does the business on the track might be presented as the face of the Olympics. At slightly bigger prices are sailor Ben Anslie who is 22/1 (bet365), swimmer Rebecca Addlington 28/1 (bet365) and cyclist Laura Trott who is 33/1(general).

One price that could appeal is the 33/1 (ladbrokes/Coral) on Tom Daley. The diver is a media darling with his own documentary series on BBC and has featured in numerous magazine and newspaper interviews. Daley is a likeable guy with a sympathetic story. His father sadly passed away with a brain tumour. The only think Daley needs to do is get that Gold in the Diving and this price will tumble. Can Daley get the Gold? Daley won the European Championships in the event in 2011 and was 5th in the Worlds in 2011. It is an open event with no dominant force, It might be worth an investment, for small stakes, that Daley can.

Also keep in mind the price of Andy Murray 8/1 (general) a price that has gone out following his Wimbledon defeat, but could come back in if he lands the elusive Grand Slam. If Murray can secure the US Open then he becomes a real competitor although not the guaranteed winner that a Wimbledon title would have made him. Murray’s final emotive speech has won him some new friends and while 17m watched Murray battle Federer in the Wimbledon final, Wiggins victory in the Tour De France has been relegated to Eurosport and the occasional brief snippet on the news. When it comes to casting votes, sad but true, some casual sporting fans may not remember the actions of Wiggins. If Murray can pick up the US Open and/or an Olympic gold then he will certainly be in the top three.

Remember next time you are watching a moment of sporting glory, be sure to have fingers at the ready to grab value in this market.

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13/07/2012     © Frixo 2024