From previous page
onto the stage to the sound of This Is Me
from the Greatest Showman.
pursuit titles on the track. His Tour de
France victory came in his ninth
appearance - one fewer than the record
for most appearances before winning.
Teenage racing driver Billy Monger
received the Helen Rollason Award and
was joined on stage by the doctors and
race marshals who saved his life
following a Formula 4 crash at
Donington Park in 2017.
He won two stages of the Tour, including
stage 12, which included the famous Alpe
d'Huez climb, and wore the Yellow
Jersey for the final 11 stages. Thomas was
the first Welshman to win the Tour and
it was the sixth time in seven years a Brit
had won.
The crowd also reminisced about a
remarkable summer when Baddiel and
Skinner reunited with The Lightning
Seeds to perform Three Lions, which
broke chart records during England's
World Cup semi-final run.
In 2018, Hamilton won his fifth F1 World
Championship title, while World Cup
Golden Boot winner Kane captained
England to the semi-finals in Russia.
Sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, England
cricketer Jimmy Anderson and skeleton's
Lizzy Yarnold were also shortlisted for
the main award.
Pop star Paloma Faith opened the show
at the Genting Arena with a rendition of
Aretha Franklin’s Respect before hosts
Gabby Logan, Clare Balding and Gary
Lineker welcomed the six contenders
her sister Olga Halon, 97, who were
Manchester City mascots in September.
Geraint Thomas with his Sports Personality of
the Year trophy
Special guests included some of the
divers who rescued the Wild Boars
football team from a flooded cave in
Thailand, as well as Vera Cohen, 102, and
36
And there were other lighter moments,
including a topless Mark Williams filmed
in a caravan, football legend David
Ginola talking golf, and George Ezra
dressing as Gareth Southgate to close the
show with a performance of Paradise.
Looking back at some past winners:
1968 – David Hemery
1978 – Steve Ovett
1988 – Steve Davis
1998 – Michael Owen
2008 – Sir Chris Hoy