2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year odds: Olympic hopeful Keely Hodgkinson well backed for SPOTY

Luke Littler's thrilling run to the final of the Paddy Power World Darts Championship propelled him to BBC Sports Personality of the Year favouritism in January.

However, Team GB's performance at the Paris Olympics is likely to have a defining impact on the SPOTY market and punters have already latched on to 800m star Keely Hodgkinson.

Her odds have collapsed from 14-1 to 4-1 over the past couple of weeks and she tuned up for the Olympics with victory, and a new national record, in Saturday's London Diamond League meeting.

Bet365 offer 8-15 about Great Britain claiming 16 or more gold medals in Paris, where the opening ceremony takes place on Friday. 

The firm go 5-6 that Team GB win over 62.5 medals at the Games and several Olympic hopefuls are prominent in the SPOTY betting behind Littler and Hodgkinson.  

Luke Littler 4-1

The teenager's PDC World Darts Championship heroics captured the imagination of the nation and Littler hit the front in the SPOTY market despite losing to Luke Humphries in the final at Alexandra Palace.

May's Premier League final triumph over Humphries, which featured a nine-darter, kept The Nuke in the headlines although the lack of terrestrial darts coverage may dent his chances of winning the BBC award.

Keely Hodgkinson 4-1

The plunge on Hodgkinson is understandable, especially after she became the sixth-fastest woman in history over 800m at the London Stadium on Saturday.

A silver-medallist at the age of just 19 at the Tokyo Olympics, she has been in sparkling form this year and is around 1-3 to claim gold in Paris.

Mark Cavendish 11-2

Hills slashed the veteran cyclist from 10-1 to 5-2 for SPOTY after his record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win on July 3. Cavendish had to dig deep to complete the gruelling Tour and remains prominent in the betting despite not competing at the Olympics. 

Molly Caudery 12-1

Cornish pole vaulter Caudery was crowned world indoor champion in March and is hoping to hit the heights at her first Olympic Games. She took bronze at last month's European Championships in Rome and was also third in Saturday's Diamond League meeting. 

Matthew Hudson-Smith 25-1

Like Hodgkinson, 400m ace Hudson-Smith dazzled in the Diamond League at the weekend, breaking his own European record with a time of 43.74 seconds.

The 66-1 SPOTY quotes about the 29-year-old were swiftly hoovered up after that display from an athlete who won silver at last year's World Championships, despite an injury-hit build-up, and is evens favourite for Olympic gold.

Jude Bellingham 25-1

Following a stunning debut season at Real Madrid, Bellingham was trading as SPOTY favourite after his spectacular injury-time equaliser in England's Euro 2024 last-16 tie against Slovakia. 

England footballers Beth Mead and Mary Earps won the award in 2022 and 2023 but Bellingham now appears unlikely to complete the hat-trick. The Three Lions' defeat in the Euros final means he is out to 25-1 – from 5-2 before their clash with Spain kicked off.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson 25-1

The popular heptathlete made the SPOTY podium last year, behind Earps and Stuart Broad, after winning her second World Championship title. 

Injuries have hampered Johnson-Thompson throughout her career, however, and she pulled out of June's European Championship competition after just three of the seven events. 

Josh Kerr 25-1

Kerr was another British gold-medallist at last year's World Championships, winning the 1,500m after claiming bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. 

Gold in Paris would make him a serious contender for SPOTY but he is 2-1 to come out on top in a fascinating duel with reigning champion, and 1-2 favourite, Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway.

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