Taylor, McCabe and Sexton headline nominees for RTÉ Sportsperson of Year 

Two-weight world champion Taylor emerges as bookies favourite but surprise omission of Adeleke from broadcaster's seven-person shortlist 

BACK TO BACK? Katie Taylor celebrates defeating Chantelle Cameron in their undisputed super lightweight championship fight at the 3Arena in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

A battle of the Katies looks on the cards after RTÉ announced a seven-strong shortlist for its Sportsperson of the Year awards — with some surprising omissions. 

Ireland women's captain Katie McCabe is included on the shortlist, announced on Saturday Sport on RTÉ radio, after a stunning year that saw the Dubliner skipper the country in its World Cup debut Down Under and pick up Arsenal's Player of the Year award, all of which ultimately saw McCabe nominated for the Ballon D'Or too. 

However it is Katie Taylor who is the bookmakers' favourite ahead of the ceremony, which will be presented live on Saturday 16 December by Joanne Cantwell and Darragh Maloney. The Bray boxer bounced back from the first defeat of her professional life earlier this summer with arguably the most impressive win of her career when she beat Chantelle Cameron in late November at the 3 Arena to become a two-weight undisputed world champion. Taylor won the award last year and also in 2020. 

Former Ireland rugby captain Jonathan Sexton is also included among the seven finalists after bringing the curtain down on his trophy-laden career at the Rugby World Cup in October having guided the country to another Grand Slam and become the all-time leading points scorer in the 6 Nations earlier in 2023. 

The other four nominees are Antrim gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, who retained his pommel horse world title this year, Limerick's Aaron Gillane, named hurler of the year after guiding the Treaty to a fifth All-Ireland in six years, fellow Limerick native Róisín Ní Riain, who claimed gold and silver at the World Para Swimming Championships, and prolific champion jockey Paul Townend. 

However one glaring omission from the shortlist comes in the shape of Rhasidat Adeleke, the sprinter who enjoyed a season for the ages in 2023. The 21-year-old from Tallaght shattered national records in both the 200m and 400m indoor and outdoor in 2023 as well as bringing in a record haul of NCAA titles Stateside including 400m gold. At the World Championships in Budapest in August she scorched into the 400m final and finished less than half a second off the podium. 

Adeleke's fellow track star Ciara Mageean can arguably also feel hard done-by to be left off the final shortlist after a stunning season in which she also booked her spot at next summer's Olympic Games, lowered her own national 1500m record and finished fourth at the World Championships.

Daniel Wiffen's remarkable year in the pool — the Armagh native lowered his own national records and hauled in medals throughout 2023 — wasn't enough to see him shortlisted either.

Other awards being handed out on the night include RTÉ Sport Team of the Year, RTÉ Sport Manager of the Year and RTÉ Sport Young Sportsperson of the Year.