Who will be Sports Personality 2001?

Steve Redgrave and wife Anne after winning last year

Sports Personality of the Year
Sunday 9 December
BBC One 2000-2200GMT

Click here to vote for your Sports Personality of the Year

This year's Sports Personality of the Year promises to be bigger and better than ever.

The event, now in its 48th year, is the longest established annual sports award ceremony in the world.

The judges will find it as tough as ever to decide who will win one of the seven awards up for grabs.

Sports Personality of the Year

The Helen Rollason Award

Team of the Year

Coach of the Year

Overseas Sport Personality of the Year

and new for 2001

Lifetime Achievement Award

Young Personality of the Year

The 'big one' is, of course, the Sports Personality of the Year award.

There are a number of contenders for the honour - won by Olympic rowing legend Sir Steven Redgrave last year - following a 12 month-period that has seen British sport rule the waves.

In football, Michael Owen and David Beckham have produced extraordinary displays to help England reach the World Cup finals.

Beckham was a hero for England

In rugby union, Martin Johnson became the first man to captain the Lions twice and led both them and England with distinction.

In athletics, triple-jumper Jonathan Edwards soared to world championship gold with a massive leap of 17.92m, underlining his status as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

It has also been a great year for Ronnie O'Sullivan, who finally put to rest his Crucible hoodoo by picking up the world title.

British boxing has also come to prominence once again, with Lennox Lewis regaining his world heavyweight title.

Audley Harrison has a 100% record after three fights as a professional, and Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe have proved their worth.

Richard Burns has become the first English world rally champion, and on the waters Britain has led from the front.

Matthew Pinsent equalled Redgrave's nine World Championship golds after winning with partner James Cracknell in the coxed and coxless pairs at Lucerne.

MacArthur ruled the oceans

And of course there is Ellen MacArthur.

She became the fastest woman around the globe, and only the second person to go round-the-world solo in under 100 days, when she completed the Vendee Globe Race.

You will once again have the chance to vote for your Sports Personality of the Year.

BBC Sport Online will be leading the coverage - with in-depth features on the contenders, comprehensive reviews of the year for every major sport and a chance for you to send in your vote for Sports Personality of the Year.