Dame Sarah Storey shortlisted for 2021 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award

A seventeenth Paralympic gold at Toyko 2020 sealed Storey's status as Great Britain's most successful Paralympian of all time.

She has been nominated for the prestigious annual gong alongside heavyweight king Tyson Fury, Olympians Tom Daley and Adam Peaty, teenage tennis star Emma Raducanu – who is the big favourite to win after her remarkable US Open triumph in New York in September – and England and Manchester City ace Raheem Sterling.

The mum-of-two tweeted: “I’m so incredibly honoured to be named amongst these sporting greats!”

A day after losing out on a record eighth Formula One world title in controversial circumstances, Lewis Hamilton was omitted from the list of sporting stars in line to pick up the award on Sunday.

Storey won three gold medals at this summer’s delayed Games in the road race, individual pursuit and time-trial to take her overall Paralympic medal tally to 28.

The 43-year-old former swimmer – whose first five golds came in the pool, beginning at Barcelona ’92 – has now won all 13 bike events entered dating back to her Games debut on two wheels in Beijing in 2008.

Away from cycling, her day job, which she began in 2019, involves inspiring people in Sheffield and South Yorkshire to become more physically active.

The BBC show will be held at Media City in Salford without a studio audience because of concerns over rising coronavirus infections.