A call from certain quarters to boycott the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show coming up on Sunday because world champion cyclist Victoria Pendleton is not on the shortlist for the title. I don't disagree.
The BBC should never be allowed to live down its treatment in last year's show of the country's other great female cyclist, Nicole Cooke. Yes, she made it on to the shortlist, but the minimal air time she was given was an insult, to which injury was added by the deeply patronising manner in which she was interviewed - a blemish on Adrian Chiles's otherwise spotless career. At least by her omission Pendleton is spared the risk of the same humiliation.
Time instead to think ahead a year to the 2008 show, which will have the Beijing Olympic Games to reflect on. Cycling is one of Britain's strongest sports, and a clutch of gold medals beckon. With no England football team at Euro 2008, what price a two-wheeled hero getting on to the Sports Personality podium? Tom Simpson won it in the 1960s. Could Bradley Wiggins, Nicole Cooke or Victoria Pendleton follow him?
Not a chance. Lewis Hamilton by a country mile.
Posted by: Ros | Thursday, 06 December 2007 at 11:27 AM
It's a huge disappointment that Victoria Pendleton has not made it to the final shortlist, even though she wouldn't have won if she'd been on the list. That's what happens when you leave the picking of candidates up to sports' journos, who can't understand a sport if it doesn't include a ball, running shoes or beating your opponent to a pulp. On the plus side, it has spared Victoria the embarrassment of having a purile Adrian Chiles ask patronising & childish questions about knees (blech..) At least she isn't included in a list which has on it someone back from a ban for a breach of doping regulations - whatever possessed any of the journos to put forward Christine Ohuruogu as a potential sports' personality of the year? At least the Sunday Times has recognised Victoria Pendleton this year, by making her its Sportswoman Of The Year. Well done to the Sunday Times!
Posted by: wafflycat | Thursday, 06 December 2007 at 05:18 PM