The six-strong shortlist for the 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award was announced on Monday morning.

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson is the favourite, with the winner decided by a public vote during the live show on December 17.

Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at the nominees.

Jude Bellingham

The midfielder established himself as one of the best footballers in the world during his debut season at Real Madrid.

Bellingham scored more than 20 goals to help the Spanish giants win LaLiga and the Champions League, while he was also a talisman for England.

The 21-year-old finished third in the Ballon d’Or standings, the best placing by an Englishman for nearly 20 years.

Keely Hodgkinson

Britain’s track and field superstar has been unbeatable over 800 metres in 2024, claiming her first Olympic title in imperious fashion in Paris.

The 22-year-old handled the pressure of being the favourite impressively to dominate the race. She also retained her European title and set a new British record with the fastest time by a European athlete this century.

Luke Littler

The teenager has become one of the most talked-about sporting stars in the country over the last 12 months after stunningly reaching the final of the PDC World Darts Championship aged 16.

It proved to be no flash in the pan, with Littler going on win the Premier League and the Grand Slam of Darts among 10 titles. He has also been nominated for Young Sports Personality of the Year.

Joe Root

England’s batting star continued to rack up the runs in 2024. In the first Test against Pakistan in October, Root broke Sir Alastair Cook’s record of 12,472 runs to become the highest-scoring England player in Test history.

He went on to score a double century and is closing in on 13,000 runs after racking up his sixth ton of the year in New Zealand.

Dame Sarah Storey

The cycling great will be 50 by the time the next Paralympics come around but she has not ruled out another appearance.

In Paris, Storey – who first competed at the Games as a 14-year-old swimmer back in 1992 – claimed two more gold medals in the time trial and road race.

It was the fifth time in a row she has won the time trial and took her overall tally of golds to 19.

Alex Yee

Triathlon has been a fruitful sport for Britain in recent Olympics but none of the previous medals have been as dramatic as Yee’s gold, with the 26-year-old appearing to be beaten only to stage a last-gasp resurgence and overhaul New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde.

Yee then helped Britain win bronze in the team relay before claiming his first world triathlon title in October.