2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year winner lands betting coup

SHEFFIELD - Ryan Giggs was named the 2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year last night, landing a major betting coup. Giggs had been heavily backed from 16/1 into 2/1 second favourite following the announcement of the 10 person shortlist.

In what was widely seen as a weak field, Giggs beat off stiff competition from F1 world champion Jenson Button. Button had been as short as 2/5 immediately after winning the championship but had drifted to 10/11 before the programme started.

Jessica Ennis, the Olympic world champion hepathlete, finished third. She had been rated a 11/2 chance to win the award which was staged in her home city of Sheffield.

Giggs appeared to be genuinely surprised at his victory and had not even prepared a speech, so he was obviously not in on the betting coup.

Giggs had been backed at 999/1 on betting exchange Betfair, albeit for only 50 pence. But one punter had £25 at 249/1 which must have made his evening go quite well. Giggs was well backed during the course of the programme on the back of sympathetic editing by BBC producers and just before the result was announced the Betfair betting was 8/11 Giggs, 2/1 Button and 13/1 Ennis.

Other contenders included David Haye, Mark Cavendish, Andrew Strauss, Beth Tweddle, Tom Daley, Andrew Murray and Phillips Idowu.

The Overseas Sports Personality of the Year Award went to Usain Bolt while the Team Award went to the England Men`s Cricket Team for their home series victory in the Ashes.

Previous Sports Personality of the Year winners include Chris Hoy (2008 at 4/1), Joe Calzaghe (2007 at 20/1), Zara Phillips (2006 at 11/2) and Andrew Flintoff in 2005.