Haaland, Biles, Kolisi: Who's up for for the BBC World Sports Star Award 2023?

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Voting for the Sport's Personality of the Year's World Sports Star Award is now open. Six of the world's biggest sports stars are on the shortlist, but who will win the coveted title? Read on to find out about this year's nominated athletes.

Simone Biles has certainly left her mark in the world of gymnastics in 2023. She took a two-year break from the sport to work on her mental health, but made a truly impressive return when she won four gold medals and a silver at October's World Championships. She also became the most decorated gymnast in history, ending the competition with a total of 37 Olympic and World Championship medals.

Erling Haaland has had a fantastic year, helping Manchester City win the Treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in the 2022-23 season. The forward was awarded the Premier League's Golden Boot with a record 36 goals in 38 games across the season and his 52 goals in all competitions is the most by a player at a Premier League club within a season.

Siya Kolisi led his side South Africa to a historic fourth Rugby World Cup win with a 12-11 victory over New Zealand in the final back in October. He returned to the team during their World Cup warm-up games after sustaining a serious knee injury in April. Kolisi also became only the second captain to lift the trophy at back to back tournaments.

Soccer star Aitana Bonmati was named player of the tournament when Spain won the Women's World Cup for the first time, scoring three goals during the competition. The midfielder also won the 2022-23 Liga F title and the Champions League with her team, Barcelona. In August she was crowned Uefa's Player of the Year and was awarded the Ballon d'Or in October.

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic won his 10th Australian Open title at the start of 2023 and went on to win the French Open - his 23rd major title, the most by any man. He also became the first man in history to win each Grand Slam at least three times. He won the US Open in September, securing his 24th Grand Slam title, equalling former Australian player Margaret Court's all-time record.

Max Verstappen became a three-time Formula 1 world champion in a record-breaking season, holding onto his title with six races still to go. The driver won 19 out of 22 races in 2023, the highest win rate since 1952. Verstappen also achieved the highest points total of all time and the biggest winning difference in a drivers' championship, with Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez finishing 290 points behind him.

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