Victoria Pendleton did not expect to make SPOTY shortlist

Victoria Pendleton said she was not surprised she did not make the BBC Sports Personality shortlist and said compiling it must have been an almost "impossible task".

Pendleton, 32, who won Olympic track cycling gold and silver this year, missed out on the final 12, as did double champion Laura Trott.

"I've never made the shortlist so I didn't expect to make it," she said.

"I don't know how they've done it. It would've been a near impossible task."

She added: "I've got no doubt in my mind that Laura will have another chance at that because there's no way she's going to win fewer than two golds next time around, maybe more."

Pendleton won gold in the keirin and silver in the sprint, while Trott, 20, won the team pursuit and omnium titles in London this summer.

Meanwhile, British Olympic triathlon gold medallist Alistair Brownlee said he was a "little bit sad" not to make the Sports Personality shortlist.

"I think the list is kind of fair on the whole, I think everyone knew it was going to be a very, very hard year for British sport and what a fantastic year it has been so it's hard to pick the list," said the 24-year-old from Leeds.

"Of course I'm a little bit sad not to be on it but someone picks that and it's up to them whether they leave you on or off. There's nothing I could have done about it so I'm not bothered."

The athletes were speaking at a ball held on Friday for the Britons who competed at London 2012.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2012 will take place at London's ExCel at 19:30 GMT on Sunday, 16 December. The show will be live on BBC One, the BBC Sport website and BBC Radio 5 live.