There's no other place to start than with another of tonight's contenders, Max Whitlock.

He might only be 22, but he's already won 21 major medals. Not a bad haul I'm sure you'll agree.

This year, however, has been his best yet as he became the first British man to win a world gymnastics title, ending a nation's 112-year wait for gold.

He edged out team-mate Louis Smith by 0.01 points and commentator Matt Baker sums it all up best.

He said: "Beth Tweddle did an enormous amount for British Gymnastics, then Louis Smith for the men and now Max has taken on the baton and has delivered the message so convincing to the rest of the world that now when you turn up at a competition, it’s the British gymnasts that are the ones to watch.

"It feels so exciting to be a part of the sport at this point in its history.  I don’t think there’s a better spectator sport now – it’s like the ultimate circus."

Voting details here.

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"I'm not good at this talking stuff, but I'm OK at swimming," Adam Peaty tells Clare Balding. OK? He's one of the best in the world.

Image source, .

Voting for BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2015 will open as announced on the show. If you want to vote online, find out here, or you can cast your vote via telephone.

Simply call the mobile or landline numbers below, followed by the two-digit number for the contender you want to vote for. For Mobile call: 62282 -- Landline call: 09015 22 82 --

Don't call now though - wait for voting to open.

Lizzie Armitstead: 01

Lucy Bronze: 02

Jessica Ennis-Hill: 03

Mo Farah: 04

Chris Froome: 05

Tyson Fury: 06

Lewis Hamilton: 07

Andy Murray: 08

Adam Peaty: 09

Greg Rutherford: 10

Kevin Sinfield: 11

Max Whitlock: 12

Calls to the short number from your mobile cost 15p, calls to the long number cost 15p plus your network's access charge. Please ask the bill payers permission.

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Britain made a splash in the pool this year - finishing with a record medal-haul at the world championships in Kazan, Russia.

A total of five gold, one silver and three bronze left Britain fourth in the medals table in Kazan, Russia.  

GB won only one medal at the 2013 World Championship.

Adam Peaty, one of tonight's contenders, won gold in the 50m and 100m breaststroke, James Guy took the 200m freestyle, along with success for both the men's 200m freestyle relay and the mixed 4x100m relays teams.

Image source, ap

The year in football hasn't been entirely dominated by Jose Mourinho - even if it feels like it.

Arsenal defended their FA Cup title, Chelsea won the League Cup, while Burnley, QPR and Hull were relegated into the Championship.

Chelsea forward Eden Hazard won all the Player of the Season awards - he won't be getting that next year - while Mourinho won Premier League manager of the season for the third time.

In women's football, Chelsea won the league title for the first time and lifted the FA Cup.

Image source, Getty Images

England's footballers made history with a best-ever third placed finish at the Women's World Cup in Canada and Lucy Bronze was among the stars.

The Manchester City defender was one of eight players shortlisted for the Golden Ball player of the tournament award.

She scored twice as England won new fans - their semi-final attracting a peak audience of 2.4 million viewers back home, despite kicking off at midnight.

A phenomenal effort, which means Bronze makes tonight's shortlist. Voting details here.

Darren Campbell
Former British sprinter on BBC Radio 5 live

"After London 2012, Greg Rutherford didn't necessarily feel that he got the recognition that he deserved. But to hold all those titles, and to be among the likes of Daley Thompson and Linford Christie - he really does deserve to be among the 12 nominated."

Frank Keogh
BBC Sport in Belfast

"Boxer Tyson Fury was spied peeking his head around the red carpet but ducked any interviews.

"The fighter had arrived earlier on a flight from Manchester and posed briefly for pictures before heading elsewhere.

"He is set to be seated close to the stage with members of his family in the arena, with fellow nominee Greg Rutherford about seven rows behind him."

Voting for BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2015 will open as announced on the show. If you want to vote online, find out here, or you can cast your vote via telephone.

Simply call the mobile or landline numbers below, followed by the two-digit number for the contender you want to vote for. For Mobile call: 62282 -- Landline call: 09015 22 82 --

Lizzie Armitstead: 01

Lucy Bronze: 02

Jessica Ennis-Hill: 03

Mo Farah: 04

Chris Froome: 05

Tyson Fury: 06

Lewis Hamilton: 07

Andy Murray: 08

Adam Peaty: 09

Greg Rutherford: 10

Kevin Sinfield: 11

Max Whitlock: 12

Calls to the short number from your mobile cost 15p, calls to the long number cost 15p plus your network's access charge. Please ask the bill payers permission.

Greg Rutherford was very polished in front of the camera then. A future TV presenter of the future?

BBC Radio 5 Live

Paralympian and Spoty judging committee member Tanni Grey-Thompson on BBC Radio 5 live:"For me, the moment of the year was a World Cup - but not rugby, but women's football. It was amazing to hear people stop talking about women's football and just start calling it football."

Imagine turning up for work feeling ill, having a headache and being dehydrated.

I reckon a few will be feeling like that after a Christmas Do... so the last thing you'd want to do is compete in the World Athletics Championships.

But none of you are Greg Rutherford: the current king of the long jump added to his Olympic, European and Commonwealth titles.

Only four other Britons - Daley Thompson, Linford Christie, Sally Gunnell and Jonathan Edwards - have ever held all four titles at the same time.

Rutherford jumped a stadium record 8.41m - beating his nearest rival by 17cm.

Imagine what he could do if he felt on top of his game...

Greg is on tonight's shortlist. Voting details here.

Image source, #spoty

Image source, Gautam Trivedi

Now, we have absolutely no idea if Usain Bolt really thinks of spiders in the 10 seconds or so he takes him to win a 100m gold medal. But it's a nice thought.

The Jamaican sprint king lit up the World Championships in Beijing in the summer when he beat doping offender and clear favourite Justin Gatlin in both the 100m and 200m - ending the American's 28-race unbeaten run in the former in a time of 9.79 seconds.

It was enough for the BBC's Steve Cram to proclaim: "Bolt has saved his title, he's saved his reputation, he may even have saved his sport."

How can we follow that?