BELFAST BOXER CARL ‘The Jackal’ Frampton has been left off the BBC’s shortlist for the Sports Personality of the Year despite becoming a two-weight world champion in 2016.
Frampton is one of a number of high-profile absentees on the 16-strong list alongside the likes of Tour de France winner Chris Froome and decorated Olympian Bradley Wiggins.
Andy Murray is the early favourite to pick up the award after a remarkable 2016 that saw him win gold at the Rio Olympics, win a second Wimbledon singles title and finish the year as the world number one in men’s tennis.
Frampton became a two-weight world champion when he defeated Leo Santa Cruz on a majority decision in their WBA featherweight title bout in New York last July.
The former super-bantamweight champion will take on Santa Cruz again in January in a highly-anticipated rematch.
It was a remarkable year for British sport but Frampton’s omission still comes as a surprise, as does that of Froome and Wiggins.
Footballers Gareth Bale and Jamie Vardy made the prestigious list alongside the likes of Olympians Alistair Brownlee, Nicola Adams and Mo Farah and US Masters winner Danny Willett.
The golden couple of Jason and Laura Kenny, who have 10 Olympic gold medals between them, both also made the cut.
Nominees:
- Nicola Adams (boxing)
- Gareth Bale (football)
- Alistair Brownlee (triathlon)
- Sophie Christiansen (equestrian)
- Kadeena Coz (athletics/cycling)
- Mo Farah (athletics)
- Jason Kenny (cycling)
- Laura Kenny (cycling)
- Andy Murray (tennis)
- Adam Peaty (swimming)
- Kate Richardson-Walsh (hockey)
- Nick Skelton (equestrian)
- Sarah Storey (cycling)
- Jamie Vardy (football)
- Max Whitlock (gymnastics)
- Danny Willett (golf)
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