BBC Sports Personality 2012 shortlist: we need more coverage of women's sport, says Jessica Ennis World golf No 1 Rory McIlroy declared his delight at making the list for the second straight year, saying: "It is a real honour to be nominated two years in a row. With it being an Olympic year, and with so many outstanding achievements in British sport in 2012, the voting is sure to go right down to the wire. Along with swimmer Simmonds and cyclist Storey, David Weir was the third Paralympian to make the list after his magnificent four-gold haul from London. The list also included former winner Sir Chris Hoy, who became the most successful British Olympian in terms of gold medals when he won his seventh in London, and sailor Ben Ainslie, who won his fourth. Adams, who floored world No 1 Ren Cancan on her way to becoming the first Olympic women's boxing champion, said: "I didn't expect to be nominated, let along make the short list. There are so many big names on the list, and so many others who didn't make it, that I am just happy to be part of it. Such was the strength of competition in what has been a remarkable year of success in British sport that a handful of those who lit up London 2012 have been left off the shortlist. Cyclists Laura Trott and Jason Kenny and dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin all won two Olympic golds each but were edged out of the reckoning. Barbara Slater, the director of BBC Sport who chaired a shortlisting panel including the likes of Sir Steve Redgrave, Denise Lewis and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, admitted that having to leave out so many big names had been painful. Slater said in a BBC blog: "We had already extended the shortlist for the main award this year from 10 to 12, but at times we all wished it was nearer 15 or 20."