WORLD champion gymnast Jessica Gadirova, from Coventry, has been shortlisted for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) award.
Gadirova, aged 18, shot to stardom when she won gold for Team GB with her stunning floor routine at the Gymnastics World Championships in Liverpool last month.
She also won team silver and bronze in the all-around competition, which marked Britain’s first ever medal in the latter event, and is just the fifth British gymnast to be crowned world champion.
The teenager is also a two-time European floor champion and competes alongside her sister Jennifer.
She has also been shortlisted for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award as well as the main award.
Gadirova is one of six sports stars shortlisted for the main award and is up against: Beth Mead (football), Eve Muirhead (curling), Ronnie O’Sullivan (snooker), Ben Stokes (cricket) and Jake Wightman (athletics).
And she is joined on the Young Sports Personality shortlist by Sky Brown (skateboarding) and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix (diving).
The show will be broadcast live on BBC One on Wednesday, December 21 with voting open to the public during the show which will begin at 6.45pm and take place at MediaCityUK in Salford.
The public are able to vote by phone or online on the night with full details to be announced during the show.
