It was in recognition of his outstanding leadership of London's successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympics, which was celebrated during the programme along with England's cricketers regaining the Ashes against Australia.

 

The award is just one of several Coe has been presented with already this year. Others have included a Walpole medal and an education and sport award from the influential ePolitix.com website.

 

Coe has also been short listed in this year's Great Britons awards set up by the Daily Mirror and the Commission for Racial Equality . He has been nominated in the public life category, which also includes stab victim Abigail Witchalls and Dr. Gareth Davies, who played a vital role in the medical response to the July 7 bombings.

 

The former double Olympic champion is also tipped to receive an honour in the Queen's New Year honours list despite already have been ennobled. In a rare move, he is likely to be knighted and given the KBE knight commander of the Order of the British Empire.

 

Also recognised at the BBC show was Harry Aikenes-Aryeetey, who picked up the Young Personality of the Year, following in the footsteps of previous winners like footballer Wayne Rooney and tennis player Andy Murray.

 

The 17-year-old A-level student from Carshalton is considered such a promising young sprinter after winning the 100 and 200 metres at the world youth championships in Marrakech earlier this year he is already been talked of as a potential Olympic gold medallist at the 2012 games in London.

 

The Surrey teenager had already won two major awards this autumn, the International Association of Athletics Federations Rising Star for 2005 and the British Athletics Writers' Association junior athlete of the year.