Teen Sports Stars Battle for BBC Glory
Three incredible young athletes have emerged as frontrunners for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award. Meet Sky Brown, Jessica Gadirova, and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix—each smashing records and making headlines in 2022.
Sky Brown: Skateboard Queen at Just 14
At only 14, Sky Brown has dominated the skateboarding scene. She defended her X Games Skateboard Park title with a stunning, trick-packed run that topped Olympic gold and silver medallists. Just a week later, she repeated the triumph at the Dew Tour in Des Moines. Sky also won the Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2021, proving she’s not a one-hit wonder.
Jessica Gadirova: Britain’s Gymnastics Trailblazer
Jessica Gadirova, 18, has become a rising star in artistic gymnastics. She made history as Great Britain’s first female all-around medallist at a World Championships with a bronze. Adding to her haul, Jessica clinched gold on the floor—becoming only the fifth British individual gymnastics world champ ever. She also held onto her European floor title and helped the British women’s team grab silver at both World and European Championships.
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix: Diving Dynamo
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, 18, had a dazzling 2022, racking up seven medals across World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and European Championships. Her victories include two golds and a silver at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where she scored a personal best 357.50 in the 10m platform final. She also scored double gold and a team bronze at the European Championships.
Star-Studded Panel Picks Top Contenders
The top three were chosen by a heavyweight panel of sports legends, including Euro 2022 winner Ellen White, Olympic gymnastics champ Max Whitlock, Paralympic swimmer Ellie Robinson, and representatives from Blue Peter, BBC Sport, and Youth Sport Trust.
From an original longlist of ten rising talents, these three now battle it out for the coveted title. The full top ten featured:
- Rehan Ahmed (cricket)
- Ben Bartram (wheelchair tennis)
- Sky Brown (skateboarding)
- Alice Capsey (cricket)
- Jessica Gadirova (gymnastics)
- Chelsea Hudson (goalball)
- Rico Lewis (football)
- Jayda Pechova (netball)
- Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix (diving)
- Toby Roberts (sport climbing)
The winner will be announced live on BBC One from Salford on Wednesday 21 December at 6:45pm.
For voting details and award criteria, visit BBC Sports Personality.
