THE BBC Sports Personality of the Year award will be presented on Sunday evening, with voting currently taking place from a shortlist of ten.

Here’s the column’s take on the ten contenders, and a prediction of where they will finish once the votes have been counted.

10 MAX WHITLOCK

The Northern Echo:

It has been another hugely successful year for British gymnastics, and 21-year-old Whitlock is at the vanguard of the British squad’s growing ability to take on the small group of nations who have traditionally dominated the sport.

He equalled the best all-around finish by a Briton at a World Championships when he took silver in China, and also won a gold medal on the pommel horse at the European Championships.

He claimed three gold medals, a silver and a bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, although his achievements were perhaps eclipsed by those of Claudia Fragapane, who is a surprise omission from the BBC shortlist. For that reason, it is hard to imagine him getting anywhere close to the top three.

9 CHARLOTTE DUJARDIN

The Northern Echo:

One of the stars of the 2012 Olympics thanks to her gold medal in dressage, Dujardin has enjoyed a remarkably successful 12 months that have seen her completely dominate her sport.

She made history when she won two gold medals at the World Equestrian Games, making her the first British equestrian rider to be Olympic, world and European champion at the same time.

She currently holds the world record in all three elements of her sport, but outside of an Olympic year, it is hard to see a dressage rider claiming sufficient votes to make her a candidate for a podium place. That said, her recent crowning as Sky Sports/Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year highlights how highly she is regarded in sporting circles.

8 LIZZY YARNOLD

The Northern Echo:

It is hard to think of another British sportsman or woman who is as dominant in their chosen event as Yarnold, the Winter Olympic gold medallist in the skeleton.

In an event that is traditionally decided by thousands of a second, Yarnold claimed the gold medal in Sochi by a winning margin of 0.97 seconds, the biggest in skeleton Olympic history.

She also secured the overall World Cup title in 2013-14, reaching the podium in seven of the eight events, but her achievements were concentrated at the start of the year, and people tend to vote for successes that are at the front of their mind.

7 ADAM PEATY

The Northern Echo:

British swimming has successfully emerged from its London 2012 slump, and Peaty can claim to be the poster boy for a sport that could yet prove a major medal winner in Rio in 2016.

The 19-year-old became a double Commonwealth Games champion this summer, and fared even better at the European Championships, where he claimed four gold medals.

His performances at the Europeans included a sensational swim in the 50m breaststroke, where he broke the world record, but in a strong year for swimmers, it is hard to claim he is too far ahead of a number of other multiple medal winners. For that reason, he won’t make the top three.

6 KELLY GALLAGHER and CHARLOTTE EVANS

The Northern Echo:

The alpine duo made history at the start of the year as they became the first British competitors to win a Winter Paralympic gold medal when they triumphed in the visually impaired Super Giant slalom in Sochi.

Gallagher, who has oculocutaneous albinism and has been visually impaired from birth, was assisted by Evans, who skis in front of her to outline the course, as she claimed a memorable victory that marked a landmark moment in British disability course.

The duo were awarded MBEs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, and the sheer difficulty of what they do continues to make the jaw drop. However, the Winter Paralympics was a somewhat niche event and their achievement did not make major waves amongst the general public.

5 CARL FROCH

The Northern Echo: GAME OVER: Carl Froch stands over the falling George Groves after landing the right hand to finish the fight off

Froch was involved in one of the biggest nights in British sport in 2014 as he knocked out George Groves to retain his IBF and WBA World Super-Middleweight titles.

Fighting in front of a British-record crowd of 80,000 at Wembley Stadium, Froch produced one of the best punches in British boxing history to send Groves sprawling in the eighth round.

A hugely popular fighter, Froch will undoubtedly have his supporters and it would not be a surprise to see him on the podium at the end of Sunday night. However, should one magical moment be sufficient to win an award that charts achievement over the course of a whole year?

4 JO PAVEY

The Northern Echo:

She might be 41, but distance runner Pavey has just completed the most successful season of her life, winning medals at both the European Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Having already won a bronze medal in the 5,000m in Glasgow, Pavey became the oldest ever female European champion when she triumphed in the final of the 10,000m at the European Championships in Zurich.

Her achievements might not have come at the very top level of world athletics, but there is a powerful emotional pull of a woman in her 40s eclipsing those more than 20 years younger than her. Do not rule out a surprise top-three finish.

3 GARETH BALE

The Northern Echo:

Having become the world’s most expensive footballer when he moved to Real Madrid for £85m, Bale’s first season in the Bernabeu could have been a disaster.

Instead, the 25-year-old claimed 22 goals and 16 assists, scoring the winning goal in the Copa del Rey final and also becoming the first Welshman to score in a Champions League final as Real Madrid claimed their tenth European title.

As Ryan Giggs’ Sports Personality award proved, footballers have a better chance of claiming the BBC crown now the winner is decided by a public vote. And with a powerful Welsh lobby behind him, Bale is an outside candidate for the title.

2 LEWIS HAMILTON

The Northern Echo:

Hamilton cemented his position as one of British sport’s biggest stars when he became the first British driver for more than 40 years to claim a second Formula One world title.

He won 11 races during 2014, surpassing Nigel Mansell’s record of all-time Grand Prix wins, and edged out Nico Rosberg in the final round of a thrilling drivers’ championship.

The 29-year-old would be a worthy winner and motor racing boasts a powerful lobby canvassing votes, but his tax-exile status and the lack of any serious competition to his all-conquering Mercedes team could ultimately count against him.

1 RORY McILROY

The Northern Echo:

Golf’s world number one has enjoyed a hugely successful year that saw him claim two Major titles as well as making a huge contribution to Europe’s Ryder Cup win at Gleneagles.

The Northern Irishman won the Open Championship in commanding fashion at Royal Liverpool, before becoming the first UK player to triumph in back-to-back Majors when he won his second USPGA title.

His three Ryder Cup points cemented his status as a British sporting great, and he fully deserves to emulate Dai Rees and Sir Nick Faldo, the only two other golfers to be crowned Sports Personality of the Year.