Olympic and World Swimming Champion Adam Peaty has been nominated for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year 2017.
The 22-year-old has built on a successful Rio games by breaking his own 50m breaststroke record twice during the FINA World Championships in Budapest, retaining his 100 metre breaststroke title and winning silver in the 4x100m medley relay. Then to top it all off he was awarded an MBE in October at Buckingham Palace.
He said: “It’s really good to be nominated – it’s my fourth time now, so fourth time lucky, hopefully!
“Being nominated for Sports Personality of the Year is a huge, huge honour for me.
“It’s not only me that this gives recognition too but also my coaches, my family and it obviously makes them proud. And it’s for all those people who have supported me along the way. And it’s great to be able to put my sport on the map.
“Being nominated among British sporting greats makes it even better – Anthony Joshua has been absolutely smashing it lately in boxing and Lewis Hamilton has won another F1 title. Within sport as a whole if you see someone doing well, you want to do well too.
“It’s great that people are pushing the whole sporting community forward. And the more success we have, the more kids we can inspire back home.
“This year has had many highlights – obviously I’ve been to the World Championships and had an amazing competition coming back with two golds and a silver as well as two new World Records!
“It’s amazing to be the first man under 26 seconds and hopefully I can push those times down again very soon.
“Going into next year it’s all about how we can improve those times and how can we get better. After the Olympics I trained really hard, so my achievements this year have been a lot of hard work but I’m looking forward to taking the next steps now.”
The winner of BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017, will be announced live from the Liverpool Echo Arena on Sunday, 17 December.Keep an eye on British Swimming’s social media channels for details on how to vote for Adam.
2017 BBC Sports Personality Contenders:
- Adam Peaty
- Elise Christie
- Mo Farah
- Chris Froome
- Lewis Hamilton
- Anthony Joshua
- Harry Kane
- Johanna Konta
- Jonnie Peacock
- Jonathan Rea
- Anya Shrubsole
- Bianca Walkden