Ainslie an outside bet for SPOTY (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Ainslie an outside bet for SPOTY

12:18pm Friday 19th October 2012 in Sport

Lymington’s Ben Ainslie is a 150/1 outside shot to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

Ainslie became the most successful Olympic sailor of all-time when he triumphed in the Finn class at London 2012, winning the fourth gold of his career and his fifth medal in total.

However, it is a measure of how strong the pool of candidates are this year that the 35-year-old is barely in the running for the top award.

Latest odds show Tour de France winner and Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins as the 1-2 favourite, with US Open and Olympic tennis champion Andy Murray at 7-2.

Mo Farah is 5/1 following his memorable 5,000m and 10,000m Olympic double, while winner of the heptathlon, Jessica Ennis, is 12/1.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012 Winner (William Hill): 1/2 Bradley Wiggins, 7/2 Andy Murray, 5/1 Mo Farah, 12/1 Jessica Ennis, 33/1 David Weir, 66/1 Ellie Simmonds, 66/1 Ian Poulter, 100/1 Rory McIlroy, 100/1 Sir Chris Hoy, 150/1 Ben Ainslie, 200/1 Laura Trott, 200.1 Sarah Storey, 200/1 Victoria Pendleton, 250/1 Alistair Brownlee, 250/1 Greg Rutherford, 250/1 Jason Kenny