Mary Earps is the frontrunner to be crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year next week after being confirmed on a six-strong shortlist on Tuesday.
But the omission of world 1500 metres champion Josh Kerr has been blasted by World Athletics president Seb Coe, the 1979 SPOTY winner and double Olympic gold medallist in the Scot's event.
Earps is the odds-on bookies' favourite to become the 70th recipient of the award at the show in Salford on Tuesday, which would see her emulate her England team-mate Beth Mead, who topped the public vote last year.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper was the standout player for the Lionesses as they reached their first World Cup final in August. Earps kept three clean sheets in the tournament to claim the Golden Glove, as well as saving a penalty in the heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final.
Should Earps land the coveted prize, she would be the third female winner in succession, following in the footsteps of Emma Raducanu in 2021 and Mead in 2022, after 15 years of male dominance before that.
Stuart Broad is the second favourite to scoop the BBC prize, after taking the winning wicket with his final ball before retirement as England levelled the Ashes against Australia from 2-0 down. He was also his side's leading wicket-taker in the memorable series.
Europe's Ryder Cup talisman Rory McIlroy, Australian Open and US Open wheelchair tennis singles champion Alfie Hewett and 52-year-old jockey Frankie Dettori are also nominated.
But while there is a place for world heptathlon gold medallist Katarina Johnson-Thompson on the shortlist, Kerr has been controversially snubbed despite beating Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win the 1500m at the World Championships in Budapest.
Coe, the 1980 and 1984 Olympic champion, posted on X as cited by Sports Central: 'No Josh Kerr on the list, are you having a laugh SPOTY? World champion in the biggest global sporting event of 2023.'
UK Athletics chief executive Jack Buckner added: 'I love SPOTY and congrats to all the shortlisted contenders but no Josh Kerr is a staggeringly bad decision.'
Scottish Athletics wrote: 'Just a reminder that Josh beat an athlete almost unbeatable in any track race in the last couple of years.'
Swimmer Matt Richards, who won golds in the 200m freestyle and the 4x200m freestyle relay at the World Championships, was also omitted, which his father Simon described as 'sad'. 'Such a shame there's no profile for swimming in this country,' he added.
Snooker great Ronnie O'Sullivan, who won a record-extending eighth UK Championship title earlier this month, missed out, as did England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham despite his stunning start to his first season in Spain.
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