Adam Peaty Nominated For BBC Sports Personality Of The Year: No Swimmer On World Star Shortlist

Jul 26, 2021; Tokyo, Japan; Adam Peaty (GBR) celebrates after winning the men's 100m breaststroke final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Adam Peaty: Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher/USA TODAY Sports

Olympic champions Adam Peaty and Tom Daley have made the six-strong shortlist for the 2021 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.

The other nominees are US Open tennis champion Emma Raducanu, record-breaking Paralympic cyclist Sarah Storey – a former Paralympic swimming multi-medallist – boxer Tyson Fury and England footballer Raheem Sterling.

The outcome will be decided by a public vote on Sunday 19 December: vote here

However, no swimmer featured on the shortlist for the World Sport Star award with Duncan Scott and James Guy bewildered on social media given the performances of Emma McKeon and Caeleb Dressel among others at Tokyo 2020.

adam peaty, tokyo olympics, mixed 400 medley relay, mixed medley relay

Photo Courtesy: Robert Hanashiro/USA Today Sports

Peaty became the first Briton to defend an Olympic swimming title when he added the 100m breaststroke in Tokyo to the gold he won at Rio 2016.

In the process, he extended an unbeaten run in the event to seven years, a few months after briefly holding all 20 of the fastest times in history.

The eight-time world champion, who is coached by Mel Marshall at Loughborough National Training Centre, then swam the breaststroke leg as he joined Kathleen Dawson, James Guy and Anna Hopkin in the mixed 4×100 medley relay with the British quartet winning gold.

The Games concluded with a silver for Peaty, Luke Greenbank, Guy and Duncan Scott in the 4x100m medley relay.

Peaty was one of the spearheads of a British Swimming outfit that clinched eight Olympic medals and solidified their place as one of the world’s leading nations in the sport.

On top of that, there was a historic quadruple-quadruple at the European Championships, as he defended all four of his European gold medals once again at Budapest 2021 to make it four titles at four straight editions.

On the same day that Peaty was powering to his breaststroke gold, Daley made his own piece of history in the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

Thirteen years on from his Olympic debut at Beijing 2008 – when he was aged only 14 – the 27-year-old teamed up with synchro partner Matty Lee to deliver one of the moments of the Games in the Men’s 10m Synchro.

The Dive London teammates were virtually flawless throughout their first five dives, meaning they held a slender lead over Cao Yuan and Chen Aisen of China going into the final round.

Daley and Lee delivered their forward 4 1/2 somersaults tuck (109C) in perfect synchronicity, earning 101.01 points and ultimately ending 1.3 points clear of their Chinese rivals.

The Plymouth-born diver went on to claim a brilliant bronze in the men’s 10m platform.

Those two medals were added to his individual 10m platform bronze from London 2012 and the 10m synchro bronze he claimed with Dan Goodfellow at Rio 2016, making him Britain’s most successful Olympic diver – just ahead of teammate Jack Laugher on three, who won bronze in the 3m springboard, at Tokyo 2020.

Tom Daley,Jane Figueiredo and Matty Lee. Photo Courtesy:British Swimming

The last aquatics athlete to finish in the Sports Personality of the Year top three was Rebecca Adlington in 2008, following her double Olympic success in Beijing.

Anita Lonsborough was the last swimmer to win the award, back in 1962.

There was some controversy last week when the nominees for World Sport Star were announced without featuring a swimmer.

Duncan Scott posted to social media:

No @emma_mckeon ?!? Seriously?!? 7 medals at the Olympics and not even nominated ?? Madness. https://t.co/nBAKlyFlLS

— Duncan Scott (@Dunks_Scott) December 6, 2021

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