Mo Farah: BBC Sports Personality 2015 contender

"He's like a conductor of an orchestra, they go at his pace, and they're completely mesmerised" - 1983 Sports Personality winner Steve Cram on long-distance runner Mo Farah.

Farah, 32, is the latest contender to be profiled in the run-up to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award on 20 December, as we focus on one of the 12 shortlisted nominees each day before the show.

Year in a nutshell

• First man to pull off a 'triple double' - triumphing in two athletics events at two World Championships and an Olympics

• Won the Great North Run for the second successive year

• Won third successive 5,000m world gold medal in Beijing, having already retained his 10,000m title

• It completed a magnificent seven - his seventh global track title in a row

What they say - Steve Cram

"He's had a phenomenal period, one which most athletes can only dream about. There were question marks about 2015, whether he could still go to a World Championships and do the double, be as good as he has been, but if anything he was better.

"In Beijing, nobody had a chance against him. The only doubt I had in the 10,000m was whether he was going to trip up. There's nothing the other competitors can do.

"Mo has created this aura around himself, to the point where the people he's competing against are at a huge disadvantage right from the very beginning because they genuinely don't think they can beat him. He's like a conductor of an orchestra, they go at his tempo, his pace, and they're completely mesmerised.

"He has developed into one of the most dedicated athletes I've ever seen. He is focused all of the time."

What you say

Deano: "Can't see past anyone other than Mo Farah for SPOTY. 10,000m & 5,000m gold at the worlds was monumental."

Grundy: "Now 4 x World Champ, 4 x Euro Champ, 2 x Olympic Champ, 2 x GNR winner, Lisbon half winner and European HM record."

Matt Davies: "Nobody comes close to Mo Farah for SPOTY. Became an all-time great this year."

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