Aylesbury gymnast nominated for Sports Personality of the Year
The 18-year-old is among six nominees for the prestigious prize
Aylesbury’s very own Jessica Gadirova is among six nominees for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
Gadirova, who’s one of the most promising gymnasts in the country, claimed floor gold in the world championships in Liverpool – becoming only the fifth British gymnast to be individual world champion.
It was her third medal at the event after coming second in the team event and becoming the first Brit to get a medal in the all-around competition – finishing third.
The 18-year-old also took floor and gold and team silver at the European Championships.
Gadirova has stiff competition for the top prize though – with England star Beth Mead leading the nominations.
The Arsenal forward won the Golden Boot for leading scorer and was named player of the tournament during England's Euro 2022 victory in the summer.
Mead, who is the bookmakers' heavy favourite for the award, is joined on the shortlist by England cricket captain Ben Stokes, snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan, curler Eve Muirhead and runner Jake Wightman.
Stokes won the award in 2019 and is in the running again after overseeing Test series wins over New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan, while also playing a starring role in England's T20 World Cup victory.
O'Sullivan could claim the gong for the first time at the age of 47 after equalling Stephen Hendry's record by winning a seventh World Snooker Championship.
Muirhead's Olympic career had a golden ending with the skip leading her team to Great Britain's only gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Beijing before announcing her retirement.
Wightman became world champion in 2022 in the 1,500 metres.
The winner will be announced during the live show on BBC One on Wednesday.
It has already been announced that eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt will receive the Lifetime Achievement award while Argentina captain Lionel Messi is the World Sport Star of the Year following his World Cup-winning heroics in Qatar.