Sky Brown, Jessica Gadirova and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix in Young SPOTY running

Skateboarder Sky Brown, gymnast Jessica Gadirova and diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix are the top three contenders for the BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year award.

Brown, 14, is the current holder of the award after winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021, and has been shortlisted this year after defending her X Games Skateboard Park title, beating the Olympic gold and silver medallist in the process.

Eighteen-year-old Gadirova became Great Britain’s first female all-around medallist at the World Championships in Liverpool last month. She also won gold on the floor and a team silver.

Spendolini-Sirieix, also 18, won seven diving medals in all in 2022 across the World Championships, Commonwealth Games and European Championships.

She won a team bronze in the global event, two golds and a silver in the Commonwealths and two golds and a team bronze at the continental event.

Spendolini-Sirieix, the daughter of television personality Fred Sirieix, won the award in 2020.

The shortlisting of the trio was announced live on long-running BBC children’s programme Blue Peter on Friday.

The winner will be announced during the main BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony which starts at 6.45pm on Wednesday, December 21.

The six-person shortlist for the main award is expected to be confirmed on December 20.