The annual award, due to be presented at a ceremony in Liverpool on December 14, is always a topic of speculation but this year has been particularly controversial.

 

Adlington has made no secret of the fact that she believes that in the year Britain enjoyed its best ever performance in an Olympics outside London, with a record 47 medals, including 19 gold, two of which she won in the Water Cube, that the award should go to a member of that team and not Hamilton, who, at the age of 23, became the youngest F1 champion in history.

 

Adlington said: "I think that Chris Hoy, with his three cycling golds, or myself, have better claims than Lewis.

 

Olympics only come round every four years and it takes constant effort throughout that time to win.

 

"Lewis gets a shot at the World Championship every year."

 

But the bookmakers disagree and believe that Hamilton is the favourite, a fact reflected in the odds they are currently offering.

 

Hamilton is the favourite is 8/13 with Adlington quoted at 11/4 and Hoy, winner of three Olympic gold medals in Beijing, at 7/2.

 

Now sailor Ainslie has come out in support in Hamilton.

 

He said: "His sporting achievement aside, he's had a tough year.

 

"Last year he could do no wrong, but this year there have been plenty of people having pops at him, and it takes character to come through all that.

 

"Chris Hoy is surely ahead of Adlington too, in terms of achievement.

 

"Huge respect to both of them, but he won three gold medals as opposed to two."

 

Many believe that Ainslie himself should be a contender for the top honour in the country having won a record third consecutive Olympic gold medal in Qingdao in August, an achievement the International Olympic Committe President Jacques Rogge hailed as the equivalent of what American swimmer Michael Phelps, with his seven gold medals, and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who won three titles all in world record times, achieved.

 

But he is quoted at 125/1 by the bookies, despite making the shortlist of 10.

 

Ainslie said: "Well, it's obviously not for me to comment on what other people decide.

 

"In sailing you can only win one medal per Games, so I've done all I can do, just as Chris Hoy won everything he could have won in Beijing.

 

"But there are always one or two individuals who get pinned as the heroes of the Games, and that's what happened to Rebecca Adlington."

 

Meanwhile, Radcliffe has also backed Hamilton.

 

The world record holder for the marathon, herself a winner of the BBC Sports Personality award in 2002, believes he has better claims than the Olympians.

 

She said: "Lewis Hamilton [should win], for the speed he’s come through at.

 

"He’s a nice guy."

 

Hoy is one of four cyclists on the shortlist announced on The One Show on BBC1 tonight.

 

He is joined by Bradley Wiggins, winner of two Olympic gold medals, Nicole Cooke, the Olympic and world road cycling champion, and Rebecca Romero, winner of the individual pursuit in Beijing.

 

Besides Adlington and Hamilton, the rest of the shortlist is made up of Joe Calzaghe, who recently retained his career unbeaten record, Christine Ohuruogu, the Olympic 400 metres champion, and tennis player Andy Murray, who reached the final of the US Open in September.