Rea runner-up in BBC Sports Personality of the Year

Jonathan Rea has finished runner-up in 2017 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award behind winner Sir Mo Farah, with Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton also nominated for the honour.

In a glamorous ceremony at Liverpool’s Echo arena, Rea shone on stage by riding his Kawasaki ZX-10RR on to the stage to emulate the previous motorcycle nomination James Toseland in 2007. Hamilton appeared via video link from Los Angeles having received his fifth nomination and winning it on one occasion in 2014 thanks to his second F1 world title triumph.

With the motorsport community supporting the three-time World Superbike champion, Rea claimed second place behind Farah with Para athlete Jonnie Peacock in third place. Rea, a relative outsider on the betting predictions, has secured motorcycle sport’s best result at the prestigious award since John Surtees won in 1959.

The triple World Superbike champion has created history in 2017 by becoming the first rider to secure three consecutive world titles in a stretch where the Northern Irish rider has dominated his rivals with an 80% podium rate and 50% victory rate.

The full breakdown of the results is yet to be announced by the BBC but Hamilton was considered a strong favourite alongside boxer Anthony Joshua but neither made the top three in the public vote. It marks the second time Hamilton has been nominated but failed to reach the top two having finished as runner-up in 2007 and 2008 plus his victory in 2014 with his only previous miss being fifth place in 2015.

Elsewhere the Mercedes Formula 1 team was nominated for the Team of the Year award which was won by the England women’s cricket team for winning the World Cup on home soil.

Full breakdown of the voting results from #SPOTY with @jonathanrea 2nd and @Lewishamilton 6th. pic.twitter.com/htMLRvJmYt

— Crash.Net (@CRASH_NET) December 17, 2017