SPOTY 2022 Betting: Golden Boy Jake Wightman firmly in frame

Wightman follows in Steve Cram's footsteps

There's nothing quite like a sporting British summer. So many athletes from a wide variety of sports begin to showcase themselves, from the already known superstars, to the ones many of us maybe didn't know much about.

Just ask last year's Sports Personality of the Year winner, Emma Radacanu, who was propelled into the limelight following her historic US Open win as a wildcard entry; let's not forget she is also still just a teenager.

This year, could it be Jake Wightman?

The English-born Scotsman has been thrown into the SPOTY mix at 8.07/1 following his superb performance in the 1500m race at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, becoming the first British man to win the World 1500m title since 1983.

Wightman, who has medalled before - albeit Bronze - at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and European Championships, has now performed on the world stage, and with the 2022 Commonwealth Games being held in Birmingham over the next few weeks, another Gold there could see him leapfrog current favourite Ronnie O'Sullivan 3.7511/4 in the sportsbook market.

GOLD!

Britain's Jake Wightman produced a stunning run to take 1500m gold at the World Championships!

More#BBCAthletics

-- BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 20, 2022

Athletics reigns supreme in SPOTY

The good news for Jake Wightman is that stars from the world of Athletics have won the SPOTY award more than any other sporting discipline (18).

Sir Mo Farah (2017) was the last such athlete to win the award, whilst the last Scotsman to do so - other than Sir Andy Murray's triple threat of 2013, 2015 and 2016 - was Sir Chris Hoy in 2008.

I can see a pattern of Knighthoods forming here.

Runners and Riders

Let us not forget, however, we are in the middle of a home major tournament - the 2022 Women's Euros. The Three Lionesses are in action this evening (vs Spain) having won each of their three matches so far, and are just three more victories away from winning the competition for the very first time.

Beth Mead 8.07/1 is the current top goalscorer in the tournament with five goals, whilst she's fast becoming the face of England this summer. Should England hold on for glory, she may well become the very first woman representing football to win the SPOTY award. The last Englishman win the award for football was David Beckham in 2001.

However, the first ever winter World Cup takes place later this year and concludes a week before Christmas, just when we'd expect to see the awards hosted. You'd have to envision captain Harry Kane 11.010/1 or icon Raheem Sterling 34.033/1 were in contention should they and England succeed in Qatar.

Elsehwere, US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick 13.012/1 has shone in the golfing world in 2022, whilst the aforementioned Commonwealth Games later this month could see Dina Asher-Smith 21.020/1 throw her name into the ring should she medal on the track.