28 November 2011
Last updated at
19:18 GMT
Ahead of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2011, which will take place on Thursday, 22 December, 2000 GMT, BBC Sport profiles the top 10 contenders (in alphabetical order)
Mark Cavendish - Cycling. Cavendish became the first British winner of the Tour de France green jersey after five stage victories in 2011, taking his overall tally to 20. The Manx cyclist was also crowned road race World Champion after an amazing performance in Denmark
Darren Clarke - Golf. The 43-year-old clinched his maiden major title in 2011, winning the Open Championship at Royal St George's in July. Clarke’s success was even sweeter for him, as he had had 19 previous attempts at lifting the prestigious trophy
Alastair Cook - Cricket. Cook was a key part of the Ashes winning England side, who also went on to become the world’s number one Test team. Cook was also appointed one-day captain for the national side. Since last Christmas, he has notched up more than 1000 Test runs
Luke Donald - Golf. Donald beat compatriot Lee Westwood in a play-off to win the PGA Championship at Wentworth and overtake his countryman as the world’s number one golfer in 2011. Donald also clinched the PGA Tour money list title this year, which was capped off with an impressive victory at the Disney Classic in Florida
Mo Farah – Athletics. After last year’s success at the European Championships, Farah went on to pick up gold in the 5,000m and silver in the 10,000m at this year’s World Athletics Championships in Daegu. His success in the 5,000m made him the first British athlete to win a global gold medal in that event.
Dai Greene – Athletics. Welshman Greene won Britain’s first gold medal at the Athletics World Championships after a remarkable performance in the 400m hurdles final. Greene can now add the world title to the European and Commonwealth gold medals he picked up in 2010
Amir Khan – Boxing. Bolton's Khan produced an impressive display against Zab Judah in Las Vegas in 2011, knocking the American out in five rounds to make it eight fights without defeat. Khan will be fighting again before Sports Personality of the Year, this time against American Lamont Peterson
Rory McIlroy – Golf. The Northern Irishman capped off a brilliant 2011 by bringing home his first major title with an eight-shot victory in the US Open. It came only months after his near victory at the Masters, where he had led for three rounds before failing at the last
Andy Murray – Tennis. Murray has had some fantastic results in Grand Slams this year, reaching the final of the Australian Open, as well as the semi-final at the French Open, US Open and Wimbledon. He is ranked number four in the world after winning five titles this year
Andrew Strauss – Cricket. Strauss led the England team to a fantastic Ashes win in Australia and also captained them during the historic series against India. Strauss's side performed brilliantly to secure a 4-0 series whitewash over India, which made England the number one Test team in the world
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