One for the cycling fraternity on the site...
He was the favourite all along, but it's now been confirmed: the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012 is Bradley Wiggins (needless to say, as he collected his award the audience erupted in a chant of "Wiggo! Wiggo!"
"I will say thank you to everyone who voted. We have had all that jungle stuff and X-Factor the last few weeks, so for people to pick up the phone and vote in half an hour, thank you very much. What a year, to stand on this stage with the people next to me is incredible. I'd like to thank my team-mates, I wouldn't be on this stage without them. I'd like to thank David Brailsford, the coaches, British Cycling, Team Sky and all the Olympians. There is a free bar round the back paid for by the BBC, so we are all going round there tonight!"
Second was Jessica Ennis (Olympic heptathlete), third was Andy Murray (Tennis player, won Wimbledon).
Lifetime achievement went to Seb Coe (former athlete responsible for the London 2012 bid) and the team award went (unsurprisingly) jointly to Team GB and Paralympics GB.
Source: BBC
Comments
SPOTY? Does that mean he has really bad acne?
--snicker --
Well done Wiggo.
And to the rest of his teammates Grocho, Chico, Harpo...
* * * *
So when will HE be found out to have cheated in the TdF?
Heck, has ANYONE won it without some illegal help in the last century or so?
John in Wauwatosa being simultaneously silly and cynical.
John in Wauwatosa
Re: SPOTY? Does that mean he has really bad acne?
SPOTY = Sports Personality of the Year.
The BBC hold an annual poll to determine the sports person in the United Kingdom who has made the greatest achievement during the past year.
Brian
Good for Wiggo and the
Good for Wiggo and the others.
Somehow, calling Seb Coe a "former athlete" doesn't do him justice. He was an extraordinary athlete. From Wikipedia:
"Coe won four Olympic medals, including the 1500 metres gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984. He set eight outdoor and three indoor world records in middle-distance track events – including, in 1979, setting three world records in the space of 41 days – and the world record he set in the 800 metres in 1981 remained unbroken until 1997."
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
of the two main
prizes awarded tonight, cycling won both, Dave 'the man' Brailsford won team manager for steering not just Wiggo but British cycling to unparralleled success in 2012 with a silly number of Olympic medals besides so much other success its silly!
Of course Wiggo was widely tipped to win the individual prize but they changed the rules on the team award to prevent British Cycling scooping that too! Not that their decision to award it to Team GB sits at all ill.
So Wiggo is gonna defend his TdF title in 2013 and in 2014 we'll be going stupid hereabouts with the TdF having a stage finish not 5 miles from where i'm sat!
All this in my lifetime too! Who'da thunk?
Madeline Anafrid Bell
Congratulations to Wiggins
Well, given the number of cycling enthusiasts this may not be a popular post but... Congratulations to Wiggins, however I would have personally preferred it to have gone to Murray (Wimbledon Men's Singles Finalist, US Open Winner, Olympic Men's Singles Gold Medalist (only man to do the last 2 back-to-back), Olympic Mixed Doubles Silver Medalist) or Jessica Ennis (Olympic Gold Medalist - Heptathlon) who competes in an underrated discipline and was the face of Team GB in the run up to the games.
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Absolutely delighted.
I didn't vote or watch because we haven't had a TV since we got married back in 1967! I've been an admirer of his for years after watching him race on the track so often. Actually my wife used to go to the track to letch over Brad's bum and legs and I did the same over Vickie Pendleton's :) He seems such a modest and genuine guy too. He does take racing very seriously but I've also heard him say that in the end it's only a bike race and not winning wouldn't be the end of the world. A very healthy attitude IMO.
He did well to win this year because the competition was outstanding. My second favourite was Fin sailor Ben Ainslie because winning 4 Olympic Gold Medals (plus a silver) is quite an achievement when you only get one chance every 4 years. But then, I only took up cycling as a means of getting fit for sailing, so I'm biassed.
Robi
Wondering if this win
will be talked about by Angharad's Cathy
May Your Light Forever Shine
Meanwhile...
...one audience member has uploaded to YouTube an excerpt from the after-show party: Wiggo borrowing a guitar and strumming along to covers of The Jam's "That's Entertainment" and Oasis' "Wonderwall"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5NkB...!
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
spoty
Was good to not see an overpaid primadonna footballer being given an award they do not appreciate. Might not be as good as on gold medal but must be nice to know so many think you are great.
And for those who doubt the cyclists, the tdf times this year were far slower than in the Armstrong era, hopefully reflecting a new attitude.