Hot favourite Andy’s on for a SPOTY treble

ANDY MURRAY is the strongest favourite in the history of BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year contest after a shortlist of 16 was announced, mainly celebrating the stars of the Rio Olympics. After winning Wimbledon, Olympic gold and becoming world No 1 for the first time, Murray, 29, could make history again by becoming the first person to win the trophy three times. He will not attend the event at Birmingham’s Genting Arena on December 18 because he will be at his Florida training camp. The BBC has arranged to give him the trophy via video link if he wins and will be keen to avoid the embarrassment of previous years where it has not gone to plan. The Scot has twice been interviewed by a swimming pool in Miami — in 2012 when he finished third and the following year when he won for the first time. But

understands the presentation would not be by the pool if he wins this year. Murray’s own favourite for the award is triathlete Alistair Brownlee, who defended his Olympic title in Rio and endeared himself to the public by helping exhausted brother Jonny across the line at an event in Mexico. Cycling’s Laura and Jason Kenny are the first married couple on the shortlist after their family Olympic medal haul hit 10 in Rio. The list reflects Team GB and Paralympics GB having their best summer with a record medal haul for both teams. Nicola Adams, Mo Farah, Kate Richardson-Walsh, Adam Peaty and Nick Skelton are Prize guy: Andy Murray nominated alongside Paralympians Kadeena Cox, Sophie Christiansen and Dame Sarah Storey. Masters golf champion Danny Willett and footballers Jamie Vardy and Gareth Bale complete the list. But Ronnie O’Sullivan, the five-times world snooker champion, was unhappy that his sport had been overlooked. The ‘Rocket’ said that the BBC’s treatment of snooker was ‘an insult’ and that it was looked down upon as a lowly ‘car boot sale’ while other sports are shopping ‘in Harrods’. He added: ‘Snooker is cheap TV, a filler for other programmes. It has lost its respect.’