Laura Kenny eighth in BBC Sports Personality voting

Laura Kenny was the highest-placed cyclists of the four on the shortlist for the 2016 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, as tennis star Andy Murray won for a third time.

Of the 16 sportspeople on the shortlist for the award, four-time Olympic track cycling champion Kenny finished in eighth place after the live public vote during the award ceremony television broadcast from Birmingham on Sunday evening.

Kenny successfully defended her Olympic titles in the omnium and team pursuit at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, bringing her total of Olympic golds to four and making her the most successful female British Olympian in history.

Fellow track cyclist and Laura's husband Jason Kenny finished 10th, after he also set a new record for the number of Olympic gold medals won by a Briton, with six. Paralympians Kadeena Cox 14th and Dame Sarah Storey 15th.

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Murray attracted a huge number of votes, 247,419 in total. Olympic triathlete Alistair Brownlee was second with 121,665 votes, and showjumper Nick Skelton third with 109,197 votes.

Wimbledon winner Murray was not present to accept the award in person, instead making a speech via video link from Florida, USA, where he is training for the 2017 season.

The appearance of Laura and Jason Kenny in the 2016 shortlist marks the first time that a married couple have both been nominated for the award in the same year.

Cycling also missed out in all other categories, with Leicester City football team taking the Team of the Year award, and swimmer Ellie Robinson taking the Young Sports Personality of the Year accolade.

There was some controversy when Chris Froome failed to make the SPOTY shortlist, having won a third edition of the Tour de France in July.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2016 votes

1. Andy Murray 247,419 votes

2. Alistair Brownlee 121,665

3. Nick Skelton 109,197

4. Mo Farah 54,476

5. Sophie Christiansen 37,284

6. Kate Richardson-Walsh 34,604

7. Max Whitlock 32,858

8. Laura Kenny 31,781

9. Jamie Vardy 25,020

10. Jason Kenny 12,376

11. Adam Peaty 11,129

12. Gareth Bale 10,786

13. Nicola Adams 7,812

14. Kadeena Cox 5,574

15. Dame Sarah Storey 3,580

16. Danny Willett 2,227