BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2015

It is that time of year again for the nominees for this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year, following the low point of 2011 when not a single female British sports person made the short list there are four on this year's shortlist, only one less than the Olympic year (when there were 12 nominees) but the most in the now traditional 10 person shortlist.

So who are they:

Gareth Bale the Welsh international, had a successful first season for Real Madrid which saw him scoring the winning goal in the Copa del Rey, the second of his team's four goals in the Champions League final in the first city derby final, the first time a Welshman had scored in that match. At the start of this season he helped his team lift their third trophy in his time with his team when his assist led to to Cristiano Ronaldo's goal in their 2-0 win the UEFA Super Cup. The last footballer to win was Ryan Giggs in 2009 the sport has five wins.

Charlotte Dujardain of "dancing horses" fame, didn't get nominated in 2012 despite her double gold and Olympic record performances on Valegro. She followed this up with double gold in Individual and Spécial Dressage in last year's European Championships, but this year became the first British Equestrian to hold Olympic, European and World Titles simultaneously when she and Valegro again combined for the double of Individual and Special Dressage. The last equestrian (not racing) to win was Zara Philips in 2006 Olympic Equestrian events have three wins none in dressage.

Carl Froch in boxing since 2006 with exception of 2 periods that total about 12 months has held one of other of the world titles at Super-Middleweight. However, despite those years of success this is the first time that he has been nominated for SPoTY, other boxers of course have been nominated in a sport that we have a good history of. The last boxer to win was Joe Calzaghe in 2007 the sport has five wins.

Kelly Gallagher is the visually impaired Paralympian skier who took Great Britain's first ever Winter Paralympic gold medal along with her guide Charlotte Evans in the Women's Super-G. She comes from my home town of Bangor. No Paralympian has ever won SPoTY, the nearest any have come is Tanni Grey-Thompson who was third in 2000. No skier has ever won, the last Winter Sports win was in 1984 for Jayne Torville and Christopher Dean.

Lewis Hamilton has twice stood on the second step of the SPoTY podium on his debut season in F1 matching his position in the drivers' championship that year. The following year when he won the championship he again came 2nd in SPoTY. This year marks his second F1 title during which he took 11 wins making him the most successful British winner with 33 wins in total, which included two runs of five and four consecutive wins. The last Formula 1 driver to win was Damon Hill in 1996 the sport has six winners.

Rory McIllroy makes it two for residents of North Down in the top 10 this year. Rory secured back to back golfing majors when he picked up the Open and PGA Championship. By lifting the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool he became only the second player in Open history to lift the silver medal for low amateur and then the main prize. In so doing he became the first European to win three of the four majors, and joins only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in doing so before the age of 25. In between the two majors he also picked up his first World Golf Championship event and return to world number one. The last golfer to win was Nick Faldo in 1989 the sport has two winners.

Jo Pavey proved that motherhood and age are no barrier to being a successful athlete. Ten months after giving birth to her second child and just over a month shy of her 41st birthday she became the oldest woman to win a European Athletics title in the 10,000m, going one place better in Zurich that 2 years earlier in Helsinki. She had earlier in the month taken bronze in the Commonwealth Games 5,000m. The last athlete to win was Kelly Holmes in 2004 the sport is the most successful in SPoTY history with 17 wins.

Adam Peaty is the new golden boy of British swimming. First he took gold in 100m breastroke and 4x100m medley, and silver in 50m breaststoke at the Commonwealth Games (both wins in Games Records). Within 10 days he was in Berlin at the European Championships taken four golds in the three disciplines from the commonwealth plus the 4x100 mixed medley. He also secured two world records in the 50m and the mixed relay with Jemma Lowe, Chris walker-Hebborn and Fran Halsall. The last swimmer to win was Anita Lonsborough in 1962 the sport has two winners.

Max Whitlock the gymnast kicked off a very successful year at the European Championship with Pommel Gold and Team Silver. Before taking five medals at the Commonwealth Games All Around, Team and Floor Gold, Pommel Silver and Parallel Bars Bronze. But in qualification at the world in Nanjing he seemed to have failed, not qualifying for any apparatus finals, nor the individual. But after the team competition Nile Wilson had to withdrawal from the all-around. Max who was third in the GB team qualifying stepped up putting his poor qualification behind him, performed well on all six pieces to take silver behind the five time world champion Kohei Uchimura. No Gymnast have ever won the closest was Beth Tweddle coming third in 2006.

Lizzy Yarnold is a women who throws herself literally head first into her sport. For she is the most successful female winter Olympian in what is fast becoming GBs most successful Winter Olympic Sport. For the fourth games in a row the female skeleton team have medalled and for the second time in a row it is gold. Lizzy entered Sochi as favourite having secured the Skeleton World Cup Title winning four of the eight races. No Skeleton racer has ever won and the last Winter Sports winners were Torville and Dean in 1984.

Trains, Ships and Automobiles

Often when the Easter weekend arrives in Ireland I used to have a short trip to see the opening stage of the Circuit of Ireland. Scrutineering would often happen in Bangor Leisure Centre's car park before the cars would head off around Castle Park to get things started before the cars headed off out into the country for the stages over the next three days. Sometime returning to the Marine Court Hotel for the champagne celebrations.

This year I will not have a walk to see the start, but I don't mind. This year the opening stage is starting within sight of the Titanic Signature Project around what is currently a derelict piece of land on Queen's Island a stones throw from the drafting offices of Harland and Wolff. I'm looking forward to catching the train up, to the great historic heart of ship manufacturing in Belfast, to watch the cars whizz around this tight circuit.

Seeing as this is the centenary of the launching of the Titanic near this location and the first time in over 20 years that the Circuit of Ireland has started from Belfast is a sign of how much things have changed here. Belfast is buzzing and its quarters are alive with various events throughout the year. Next year I wonder if the circuit will start out of the City of Culture?

RIP Marco Simoncelli 1987-2011

I can't believe for second weekend in a row that top level motorsport is facing a fatality.

Italian Marco Simoncelli was certainly a character on the MotoGP circuit and even though he was only racing in that series for a second season, the 24 year old had been around motorsport for a decade. If you had watched any MotoGP over the last two seasons you would have had no problems picking out Marco from the rest while helmets were off. His hair stood out like a mop exploding when he took his helmet off at the end of a race, and hardly allowing him to put a cap on at the finish.

But he brought the same flamboyance to the track. He was one who would take riders on, sometimes passing at spots that nobody thought it was possible to pass. But he would take his racing to his opponents from start to finish.

He was having just that sort of battle with Alvaro Bautista in Seapng today when going into a corner his leg came off and over the bike. Bautista was able to avoid him but Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi coming up behind didn't have an option as coming out of the bend and levelling their bikes up Marco's machine careered back across the track, him still hanging on to the inside side of it, into their paths. His helmet came off  just as Edwards came into contact with him and Rossi soon afterwards. Edwards came off his bike and both he, his bike and the empty helmet skidded unto the grass while Simoncelli's limb body skidded to a halt on the track while Rossi remained upright and rode over the grass.

The race was red flagged and the medical teams did what they could to revive the Italian, but he was pronounced dead at the in track medical centre at 4:56pm local time.

Last year on the same track Simoncelli split a helmet in practice this year it came off in a horrific impact. At the age of 24 without a MotoGP title but as the 2008 250cc World Champion he was taken too soon doing the sport he had spent over half his life competing in.

Marco Simoncelli 1987-2011

Dan Wheldon 1978-2011

Dan Wheldon with his elder son kissing the bricks at the finish line of Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year

British motorsports fans often forget about Dan Wheldon. When it comes to car racing it is all about Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton but for the last few years he and Bathgate's Dario Franchitti have been two of the leading lights in the IRL Indycar series.

Wheldon actually won the title in 2005, before Dario won the first of his three titles prior to the one he won as a result of the crash that took Wheldon's life today. He has also won the Indianapolis 500 twice in that 2005 season and again this, therefore matching Frachetti's success as the only two time British winners of that race.

Wheldon was born in Emberton, near Olney, Buckinghamshire, England. In his early career racing open wheeled formula he had a great rivalry with Formula One World Championship winning driver Jenson Button. However in 1999 their paths took a different track with Wheldon heading to America because his family could not fund him in the UK and European formula that are the normal route to F1.

He progressed through the lower American open wheel series U.S. F2000 Championship Series, the Toyota Atlantic series and the Indy Lights series. Until in 2002 he got the call from Andretti Green Racing to replace Michael Andretti who was retiring from racing. He was to win the rookie of the year title.

In 2004 at Twin Win Motegi in Japan he won his first Indycar race, and gathered two more wins that season to finish second in the championship to his team mate Sam Hornish Jr.

The folowing season he became the first Brit since Graham Hill, Damon's father, to win the Indianapolis 500. With five wins, a record under the IRL sanction, he won his only Indycar championship.

At the end of 2005 he announced that he was moving to Chip Ganassi Racing, but he won the 24 Hours of Daytona along with Scott Dixon and Casey Mears. At the end of the 2006 Indycar season he was equal on points with his former team mate Sam Hornish Jr., but the American's not liking two winners had a tiebreak of the most wins which was 4-2 for Hornish and he was therefore declared the champion.

In September 2008 he was released from Chip Ganassi to be replace by Dario Franchitti, who had won the title in 2007. In 2009 he raced for Panther Racing, giving them a second spot in the Indianapolis 500 a feat he would repeat in 2010, when he remained more competitive through the whole season. However, he failed to win a race with Panther and was replaced by J.R. Hildebrand.

He hadn't secured a regular drive for the 2011 season but driving for Bryan Herta Motorsport he took the honours once again in the Indianapolis 500 a race win he dedicated to his mother who had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimers.

He had started on the back of the 34 car grid and had already made up 10 places in the first 12 laps when the crash happened at the Las Vegas Indy 300. He would have shared a $5 million special one off prize with one lucky fan if he had won the race.

At about 23:00 UK time the drivers and officials came out of a briefing session at the track. Twitter was alive with people reporting on the looks of the drivers faces as they came out not looking good. Shortly after a very short press conference (see below) announced the news that Dan Wheldon had indeed died as a result of the crash at the age of 33. The drivers still in shock decided to honour Dan with a five lap salute, his care number 77 was the only one that was displayed on the position boards at the track as they went around in his honour.



Here is footage of the five lap salute and you can hear a bagpiper playing Amazing Graze probably a CD or some such over the PA but a nice touch. With his pit crew standing out at the point his car came to rest.



Thoughts and prayers go to his wife Suzie Behm, and sons Sebastian 2 and Oliver not yet 7 months old, his mother and his father, who started him on the road to a career in racing, at this difficult time.

Dan Wheldon 22 June 1978 - 16 October 2011

Bad Indycar crash in Vegas kills British driver Dan Wheldon

In the last hour there has been a 15 car collision in the final Indycar race of the season in Las Vegas. There were several cars burst into flames one of which had taken off  for about 6-7 car lengths after being unable to avoid a collision in front, while two others also look as if they were airbourne for less time.

As a motorsports fan my thoughts and prayers are with the drivers involved, any of their families either at trackside or watching/getting news elsewhere and with the medical teams at the track.

I'm not going to embed the clip of the crash but you can find it here. Here is another view from Will Power's car, the one that flew for about 7 car lengths.

Update Will Power who was challenging Bathgate's Dario Franchitti was the title was caught up in the crash. However, there is major concern of British driver Dan Wheldon who apparently one of the worse affected in the crash. There is no news yet of his condition, apart from the fact that doctors are reporting he is in a serious condition.

Rookie Pippa Mann was also rather shaken up as she was removed from the scene in an ambulance. While Townsend Bell cars was left upside down amongst the smoldering wreckage of the carnage. Of the 34 cars that started the race less than 12 laps earlier 15 were taken out in the crash, the race is currently under red flag conditions.

Update 2 Terry Blount of ESPN is reporting that the entire roll area of Wheldon's car was sheered off before being covered in a tarp. He was airlifted to hospital after having 20 doctors attend to him at the scene. Pippa Mann and JR Hildebrand were taken to the hospital by ambulance awake and alert as a precautionary measure. Other drivers were treated at the medical centre at the track, some of who including Will Power have been talking to media.

Update 3 Full list of the drivers involved is Dan Whelton, Will Power, Townsend Bell, Tomas Scheckter, Paul Tracy, EJ Viso, Alex Lloyd, Buddy Rice, Vitor Meira and rookies Pippa Mann, James Jakes, JR Hildebrand, Jay Howard, Charlie Kimball and Wade Cunningham.

Update 4 Will Power after complaining of lower back pain at the track has also been transported to hospital.

Update 5 23:04 BST Indycar announce that Dan Wheldon has died as a result of his injuries in the crash. The race has been abandoned. More on this blog post.

I'll continue to update this blog post as more information becomes available

The thrills, spills and scares of the 2011 North West 200

The thrills were supplied in the Superspsort 600 race the first of the day. Alistair Seeley and Cameron Donald were racing neck and neck, often side by side, over the course that stretches from Portstewart out toward the University at Coleraine and Portrush. In the end it looked like it would be decided by who took the last Juniper Hill chicane best. Donald went in too hot and Seeley who had been outbraking for most of the previous circuits eased off and over the line.

The spills sadly was a oil leakage on the damp course due to the rain. Despite the best effort of steward and track officials to clean up this spill it brought an abandonment to this years racing. Seeley was leading Robert Dunlop's son Michael in the Superbike race after one lap when the second race was abandonned.

The scares wasn't any of the riders careering off their bikes into a lamppost or into the crowd. No it was just after the conclusion of the 600 race, and before the sighting laps for the Superbike race. When somebody called in a bomb scare for a hoax device in the paddock. This lead to an evacuation of racers, their crews, officials, and spectators while the PSNI had to check the area.

With so many people from not just Northern Ireland but further afield travelling for the NW200 the fact that some desident thinks that he can use this family event as an excuse to spread fear is a disgrace. The fact that there was a later abandonment due to racing conditions was not known at the time. The people of Ireland North and South no longer what this sort of thing, we're sick and tired of people thinking that setting devices like the other one yesterday can hold us ransom. The people are saying No More and Not in my name people from all sides. We want a peaceful Northern Ireland and Ireland as highlighted by the way that Her Majesty was accepted over the last week in the Republic.

Donnington Cloud Set For Silverstone Lining

Later today it is widely expected that the 2010 Fomula One British Grand Prix will be announced as taking place at Silverstone. After a couple of years of the circuit that has hosted the British Grand Prix since 1987 first looking to lose the event to Donnington, then potnetially Britain losing its spot on the F1 circuit altogether when the financing fell through, it now seems certain that it will be as you were in Northamptonshire and not a shift to Leicestershire..

The Silverstone circuit is like the heart of F1 around it are various of the works factories of many teams not just those that play our National Anthem when they win the constructors prize at a Grand Prix and with them are many of the makers of parts. If Bernie Ecclestone had followed through on his veiled threat that he didn't need there to be a British Grand Prix there might very well have been ramifications for employment.

However, last night Bernie seemed happy with the deal that was presented by the Silverstone owners. He was irratated with the length of time it took him to come to a deal though saying:

"It's been a long and tiring nonsense. They could have done this whole thing months and months ago."

But maybe from their long experience of dealing with the billionaire the circuit cheifs wanted to build in a little security if they stepped up to become the saviour of the British GP. Having aparently settled on a 10 year deal it would appear that they have got that little bit of security to make investing in improving the facilities

Update: This has now been confirmed with a 17 year deal agreed.

Liberté, Fraternité, Echappée*

The news this morning that the Statue of Liberty will mark Independence Day with public being allowed to the crown from the first time since 9/11 is good news. It also coincides with the start of Le Grande Slog across France, Spain, Andorra, Switzerland and Italy towards her sister who sits on another Isle in the capital of the country of her birth. The full route is shown visually below.




On the 40th Anniversary of the moon landings is suitable marked with the penultimate stage up through the lunar landscape to the peak of Mont Ventoux, though it is 4 days late on the 25th to be a really fitting tribute for the day that there was 'one small step'.

Today however many Formula One fans will recognise parts of the course for the opening individual time trial of the 2009 Tour. Indeed the finish line is more used to the checkered flag than the kite marking Arrivée, and the Flamme Rouge marking a kilometre to go is in a very famous tunnel. They even race past the Casino though not through the iconic square. The pit lane instead of having mechanics working on cars will have mechanics doing last minute tweaks to machines about to ride up the the depart hut for 15.5km course that will take them up the steep climb of Moyenne Corniche to the high point a Category 4 climb of Côte de Beausoliel 2o5m up.

For the Grand Départ is taking place in the streets of Monaco some of it very familiar to speed fans of the four wheeled variety. See below for a full look at today's course.




*Translation of Title: Liberty, Brotherhood and Breakaway Group.

Max-ed Out With the News

Max Mosley has announced that an agreement has been reached with the Formula One Teams Accosiation (FOTA) that will prevent the big names and big teams breaking away in a rival championship next season.

As part of the deal Mosley who the team principles have been unhappy with has agreed to step down and not seek re-election as President of the FIA when his fourth term comes to an end in October. This is contrast ahead of the FIA meeting today when Mosley said he would seek re-election. It also appears that the writs that Mosley and experienced barrister had drawn up against the teams who had threatened to pull out (McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso and Brawn GP) will now be filed in the WPB*.

There was a campaign of which I and many other F1 fans both in Blogs and Tweets were involved with which called for Max, who was seen as the biggest ego and most immoveable mountain in a sport of big egos, to get out. The FIA even tried to ban Max Out banners from being shown in broadcasters at the weekend’s Grand Prix at the spiritual birthplace and home of F1 Silverstone.

All rumours that John Bercow’s speakers robes had come from Max’s dressing up box for Bernie Ecclestone have been denied by all parties.

*Waste Paper Basket

The Greening of Formula One

No this is not a post about fuel, fuel efficiency or anything else that you would associate me with from a title like that. But all week I've been seeing a growing number of the people I follow politically on Twitter slowly turning their profile pics green. Green is the party colours of Mir Hossein Moussavi and following the outrageous result announced last weekend I've noticed the political twitterverse turning green in solidarity.

However, having spent most of the weekend following the #iranelection hashtag today I've just spent a few hours following the #f1 one for the British Grand Prix. One thing that struck me was there was not a noticeable drop in the percentage of green faces I was watching scroll down the screen. This is a people's discontent in Iran and it is a people's movement of solidarity around the world, from celebs to politicians and ordinary people as well the Internet is slowly turning green in one sense at least and a welcome sight it was too.

Glorious Sunday for British Sport

It was quite a magnificent Sunday of British sport yesterday. It all started in Sepang Malaysia where Jenson Button after a poor start from pole battled up through the field from fourth and put in a couple of 'storming' laps after his nearest rivals had pitted for that first change of tires to come out well up the track.



However, when the rain came down Timo Glock made the audacious and in the end correct decision to go out on intermediate tyres while the rest of the field put on full wets and start to gain 6 seconds a lap. By the time they pulled Button in for Intermediates as well Glock was passing him as he sat in the pit lane.



Then just after all the field had changed to the Intermediates and Button had just regained P1 Glock dove back into the pits to start the move unto full wets first again to go to what was to prove to be the right tyre. When Jenson followed suit he had again to overtake the German but the race had become a power boat race by lap 32 and was red flagged. The drivers sitting on the grid in a thunderstorm waiting to see if they would restart. So it was that Jenson Button won his second Grand Prix of the season while sat on the grid under a brolly, he only needed a bowler hat instead of his helmet to make the British image complete.



Later in the day over in Miami rain wasn't going to be Andy Murray's worry. Storming to a 4-0 lead in the first set of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami against the man whose position in the rankings he is chasing down, Novak Djokovic, he eased to a 6-2 first set. And then at 1-0, a break up, in the first set he watched his opponent call for the trainer, it seemed to unsettle the Scot as he lost the next 5 games on the trot. But then found the flow of the first set to take six in succession to take the title dubbed the 'fifth grand slam' 6-2, 7-5. In doing so he equalled Tim Henman's career titles at an age when Henman only dreamed of being that good. He also now with three wins this season is the most successful champion on the mans tour as we head into the clay season.



The day was rounded up by Paul Casey over in Houston, where he didn't have a problem despite dropping his one shot led on the eighteenth and bogeying the play-off hole. It was still enough to secure him the Houston Open, his first win on the US Tour where he now plies his trade. An ideal built up to the US Masters later this month at Augusta.

RBS Cut's Back Sports Sponsorship

A few weeks ago, before the whole debacle over their bonuses, the Royal Bank of Scotland had extended their sponsorship of the RBS Six Nations to 2013. After the fall out from that today's news that they are to scale back their sponsorship substantially.

What it entails is the end of their sponsorship of the Williams Formula 1 team when the current contract expires in 2010. Also a reduction of the contribution to their sports ambassadors including Andy Murray, Zara Philips and Jack Nicholas as well as other lesser deals. The net effect is a 50% reduction of their tens of millions in sponsorship.

Dr Andrew McLaughlin, RBS group director said:

"We recognise that we are now operating in a very different economic
environment and have been reviewing all of our activities since
October.

"It is imperative that we respond to the reality of the situation we face
and that we do so in an orderly way that respects the commercial agreements we
have in place and the implications for our partners and the jobs they support."

As a sportsman in my past I well recognise the benefits that sponsorship can bring to events and individuals. But as an Economics graduate I also realise that investment in sponsorship does not have a direct impact on the money making potential of a company and when times get tough will be seen as needless luxury that is hard to justify. Therefore RBS are making a sound business decision for themselves. Those they have sponsored will have to get on the treadmill and find out if anyone(s) else will take up the slack and the hole left in their budgeting.

Although Williams will have to replace their £10m per annum deal Sir Jackie Stewart is beleived to he holding out for his £4m deal, unlike Andy Murray who is happy to renegotiate his deal.

Who Do You Think You are Sterling Moss?

Whoops a daisy. A car dealer in Kent was looking up his security gate when a Fiat van sent him flying when it hit the end of it. Police were alerted to the scene and merely helped to two men swap details.



The driver of the vans other car is a Ferrari apparently and used to be this one.






The police apparently believed him, well who else has a jaw like that.

Robert Dunlop Killed During NW 200 Practice

They say that engine oil ran through the veins of the Dunlop boys Joey and Robert.

Joey was killed racing in Estonia in 2000 after that summer having a display of all his trophies at the Isle of Man TT where he had runb 26 races. Robert was the record holder at Ireland's premier meeting the North West 200 with 15. Sadly yesterday evening during a practice session his 250cc bike appeared to seize as it reached the fast Mather's Cross section and crashed at high speed. He was confirmed dead from his injuries shortly after 10pm last night.

Robery had had a far more injury affected career than his big brother Joey. In 1994 he crashed in the F1 event at the Isle of Man which took him out for some time, but he soon returned. He walked away from the sport in 2004, but was back racing the following year. This was his first time back racing a 250 class event since the 1994 TT.

His widow Louise told the Belfast Telegraph that she knew, what we all feared when he returned to racing, that he would probably die racing. Another great loss to the high risk sport of road motorbike racing.