THE voting for BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year 2013, opened last Monday at 8am and Abergavenny's Becky James is one of the five contenders in the running for the prestigious title.

Facing fierce competition from Real Madrid's man of the hour Gareth Bale, world-leading Paralympian athlete Aled Sion, Swansea's super athlete Non Stanford, and of course player of the tournament in the Six Nations Championships and British Lions tour, Leigh Halfpenny, the homegrown cycling speedster has her work cut out if she's to remain in with a shout of winning.

Public voting, by phone and text closes this Saturday, so if you haven't done so already, please go to bbc.co.uk/sportwales for full details on how to vote for a local sporting success story.

The winner will be announced at the Wales Sport Awards 2013 on Monday, December 9, at the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff and on BBC One's Wales Today and S4C's Newyddion.

The awards ceremony will be live on bbc.co.uk/sportwales from 7.30pm with reports on BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio Wales. So ensure you keep your fingers crossed and make your vote count.

Double world champion James, who turned 22 last Friday, is determined to retain her global titles when she competes in Columbia at the end of next February and recently revealed, "After winning the world medals and now knowing what it feels like, I want to go back and emulate that.

"I try not to think about the added expectations and I am more about putting pressure on myself."

James will also find out tonight (Thursday) if she has been crowned the Sunday Times/Sky Sports Sportswoman of the Year.

A nine-strong judging panel that includes Sky Sports presenter Hayley McQueen, Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis and Sport England director Tanya Joseph compiled the shortlists after a public call for nominations.

The awards, will be broadcast live for the first time in their 26-year history from Sky Studios.