Alistair Brownlee on Mo Farah snub at BBC Sports Personality of the Year: ‘It’s really sad – he is the perfect … – Telegraph.co.uk

“I would have voted for Mo to win,” said Brownlee, a prodigiously talented 10,000m runner himself, with a personal best of 28min 32sec. “His achievements are incredible. What stands out about them is that no one from Britain has done them before, and there is a good chance that no one will again. It’s not as if someone does it every year. This is a complete one-off in what are two very competitive, blue-riband athletics events.” 

Veteran showjumper Nick Skelton, a surprise choice at third in the overall standings, joined the chorus of incredulity for Farah’s exclusion from the top table. Acknowledging that he would also have given his vote to Farah, the 58-year-old said: “What he has done is amazing, flogging his body for so long. With all those double golds, he would be a worthy winner of it.” 

Brownlee seemed astonished by his own success, having originally booked a skiing holiday for the same time in December, out of conviction that he would not even be named on the shortlist. “Part of me is still the 10-year-old boy who watched this and had to get up early for school on a Monday morning to run around a muddy field,” he said. 

Showing admirable modesty, he also expressed doubt that he would have come as high as second without the indelible image of him pushing his younger brother across the line at a triathlon in Mexico, as Jonny threatened to collapse with heat exhaustion.