BBC Sports Personality of the Year RECAP: Geraint Thomas 1st, Hamilton 2nd, Kane 3rd
GERAINT THOMAS was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year, pipping Lewis Hamilton and Harry Kane to the award.
Sports Personality of the Year: Geraint Thomas WINS
Geraint Thomas has been crowned the Sports Personality of the Year 2018 after an amazing year with Team Sky which saw him become the first ever Welshman to win the Tour de France.
Below you can recap all the aciton from the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham.
SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2018
1st: Geraint Thomas
2nd: Lewis Hamilton
3rd: Harry Kane
FULL LIST OF AWARD WINNERS:
Helen Rollason Award 2018 - Billy Monger
Lifetime Achievement Award 2018 - Billie Jean King
Coach of the Year 2018 - Gareth Southgate
Young Sports Personality of the Year 2018 - Kare Adenegan
World Sport Star of the Year 2018 - Francesco Molinari
Unsung Hero 2018 - Kirsty Ewen
Greatest Sporting Moment of 2018 - England Netball Commonwealth gold
Team of the Year 2018 - England Netball
He did it!!! Here was the reaction from our training camp in Mallorca as @GeraintThomas86 was announced as the winner of #SPOTY pic.twitter.com/2XZtItUSvK
— Team Sky (@TeamSky) 16 December 2018
Winner Geraint Thomas reflects on a stellar year:
"I feel really to have come into cycling at the age I am. I was just going down the local leisure centre going for a swim, then I end up riding a bike.
"I'd like to thank my wife, she deserves this just as much. I'm really lucky to have her and my family.
"As a bike rider, I was always focused on myself, but hearing stories like Tyson and Billy, then seeing kids on their bikes back home, you take great pride in winning this.
"It's been an amazing year for British sport and long may it continue."
GERAINT THOMAS CROWNED SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2018
1st: Geraint Thomas
2nd: Lewis Hamilton
3rd: Harry Kane
Greatest Sporting Moment of 2018 - England Netball
Team of the Year 2018 - England Netball
England captain Ama Agbeze says "Just how football was coming home, we hope Netball came home."
20:47: Tyson Fury is on stage discussing his incredible comeback to the sport of boxing.
Although he didn’t make the final six, he can take immense pride for what he has achieved this year.
The Gypsy King continues to get the message across that if he can come back from the lowest of lows, then anybody can.
Unsung Hero 2018 - Kirsty Ewen
Kirsty Ewen is this year’s Unsung Hero after overcoming mental health problems to inspire others that bad times aren’t forever. Fantastic stuff.
World Sport Star of the Year 2018 - Francesco Molinari
Francesco Molinari caps a fine year by clinching the World Sport Star.
He was instrumental as Europe triumphed at the Ryder Cup, he also won this year's Open. Well done Francesco!
Young Sports Personality of the Year 2018 - Kare Adenegan
Para-athlete Kare Adenegan is the 2018 Young Sports Personality of the Year at the Radio 1 teen awards in London.
She set a world record in the T34 100m before becoming European champion.
The 17-year-old also won a silver and two bronze medals at the Rio Paralympics.
Voting is now open
You can cast your vote online here. Online votes are capped at one per registered BBC account.
If you want to do so by phone, you have to use the unique code for each sports star and follow the instructions below:
From UK mobiles dial 6 22 82 followed by the two digits which correspond to your choice. Similarly, its 09015 22 82 and the two digits that correspond to your choice if you are calling from a UK landline.
01 - Jimmy Anderson
02 - Dina Asher-Smith
03 - Lewis Hamilton
04 - Harry Kane
05 - Geraint Thomas
06 - Lizzy Yarnold
Calls to the short number from your mobile cost 15p, calls to the long number cost 15p plus your network's access charge.
Coach of the Year 2018 - Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate is crowned Coach of the Year after leading England to their third ever World Cup semi-final.
Although there was no happy ending, he restored the pride and fun factor in our national football team.
He dedicates the award to his players and reveals his ambition for more glory with his Three Lions team.
20:03: David Baddiel and Frank Skinner are now performing their famous "Three Lions" song on stage after recapping England's terrific World Cup campaign in Russia.
IT'S COMING HOME! ������
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 16, 2018
Watch #SPOTY LIVE on @BBCOne and here: https://t.co/lGCzvNDJFG pic.twitter.com/txW9OgKbiC
19:56: Billie Jean King has been an inspirational figure in the sport of tennis and you can't deny that this was very well deserved.
She won 39 Grand Slam titles in her illustrious career, 12 singles and 27 doubles.
But it wasn’t just her success on the court, she was also imperative in boosting equality and social justice.
Lifetime Achievement Award 2018 - Billie Jean King
19:45: Gerraint Thomas is on stage recapping his achievements from a fine year that saw him become the first ever Welshman to win the Tour de France.
19:40: Billy Monger expresses his gratitude for the Helen Rollason Award:
"First of all I've got to say a massive thank you for this award.
"I came here last year and had the privilege of seeing Bradley Lowery's parents collect this award and it was such an emotional and special moment of the night.
"A massive thank you to my doctors, surgeons and everyone at QMC, quite simply, without these guys, I may not be here today.
"It's a real honour to be able to share the stage with them because the work they did for me, well...they saved my life."
Helen Rollason Award 2018 - Billy Monger
Billy Monger was one of the rising stars in world motor racing until he was involved in a tragic crash that nearly saw him lose his life in April 2017.
His little sister was first on the scene as emergency services rushed to help him.
He lost both legs in the accident but specialist technology allowed him to race in the Formula 3 championship where he finished third.
His achievements were truly inspirational and the audience erupts into applause as he is presented with the award by his hero Lewis Hamilton.
Sir @Mo_Farah passes it on ������
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 16, 2018
Watch #SPOTY LIVE on @BBCOne and here: https://t.co/lGCzvNDJFG pic.twitter.com/ood3HKIAUq
19:22: The crowd applauds the brave divers who helped save 12 boys and their football coach after they became trapped in a cave in Thailand.
One diver tragically lost his life during the rescue operation.
A monsoon caused the passageways to flood which trapped the team and their coach inside the tunnels. They had spent nine days in the cave with little food or light back in July.
Tonight seven of the boys are in the crowd.
19:17: Jimmy Anderson is included in the final six, Bet365 have him as a 100/1 outsider. That is why he did not appear in the favourites thread below. Apologies Jimmy!
Here are the number extensions you will need to cast your votes when it opens later tonight:
01: Jimmy Anderson
02: Dina Asher-Smith
03: Lewis Hamilton
04: Harry Kane
05: Geraint Thomas
06: Lizzy Arnold
19:06: The official shortlist has been revealed, one of these stars will be crowned SPOTY 2018:
Harry Kane
Dina Asher-Smith
Jimmy Anderson
Gerraint Thomas
Lewis Hamilton
Lizzy Arnold
18:51: Hello and welcome to Express Sport's live coverage of tonight's BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2018. Below we have the bookies favourites for the prize with the official shortlist still yet to be revealed.
The show is due to get underway shortly at 19:00 on BBC1.
REGISTER YOUR VOTE
You will be able to vote for your BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2018 during this year's programme.
Voting lines are not yet open but you will be able to have your say and cast your vote via mobile or online.
The way it works is that each candidate will have their own phone number which you should dial once instructed to register your vote.
You will need a BBC account to vote online, if you are yet to own one you can create one via the BBC website.
Dina Asher-Smith: 12/1
The 23-year-old is in with a chance of becoming the first female to win the award since Zara Phillips in 2006.
Asher-Smith made history by becoming the first British track and field athlete to win three gold medals at a major championship.
Lizzy Yarnold: 40/1
Yarnold won back to back Olympic gold medals at the 2014 and 2018 Winter games.
She is also the most successful British Winter Olympian as well as the most successful skeleton athlete from any nation.
The 30-year-old also became the first person to defend an Olympic gold and the first British athlete to retain a Winter Olympic title.
Tyson Fury: 7/1
The Gypsy King stunned the boxing world in his recent fight with Deontay Wilder.
The bout ended in a controversial draw as Fury somehow got up from a 12th Round knockdown from the Bronze Bomber.
Many have been inspired by his comeback to the sport after a battle with mental health, drink and drugs.
Lewis Hamilton: 9/2
The Mercedes star secured his fifth Formula One title to cap a fine season.
The 33-year-old comfortably pipped rival Sebastian Vettel to go level with Juan Manuel Fangio.
Geraint Thomas: 9/4
It was a superb year for Geraint Thomas as the cyclist became the first ever Welshman to win the Tour de France.
Thomas has often been behind Sky team mate Chris Froome but the triumph cemented his place in cycling history.
The 32-year-old suffered a broken collarbone last year and the inspired comeback has been admired across the sporting world.
With the final shortlist set to be revealed in due course, here’s a little look at what the bookies are saying (all odds courtesy of Bet365).
Harry Kane: 7/4
Harry Kane captained England at a memorable World Cup in Russia back in the summer.
The Tottenham striker also won the Golden Boot as he finished top goalscorer at the competition.
Gareth Southgate’s side became only the third Three Lions team to reach that stage of the competition.