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News16 Jan 2006


Athletics dominates Jamican award nominations

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The list of Jamaica’s great sporting achievements of 2005 is dominated by athletics, and it’s not surprise that the nominations list for the 2005 Radio Jamaica Foundation Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year mirrors that dominance.

World Record holder Asafa Powell and World Champion Trecia-Kaye Smith head the 14 nominees. That number also includes World Championship 100m silver medallists Michael Frater and Veronica Campbell, as well as Dolloreen Ennis-London and Brigitte Foster-Hylton who took second and third respectively in the women’s 100m hurdles in Helsinki.

Bringing the total number of track and field athletes nominated to 13 are young superstar Usain Bolt, Brandon Simpson, Dwight Thomas and Maurice Wignall. Sprinter Sherone Simpson makes the list, as do emerging 3000m Steeplechase competitors Korene Hinds and Mardrea Hyman.

But when the awardees are named at the Jamaica Pegasus on 27 February, Powell and Smith should leave everyone else in their wake.

Powell, of course, set the men’s 100m World record in 2005. It was one of several occasions on which he ran under 10 seconds for the year. Having succumbed to injury, he was unable to challenge for major international honours, but the 23-year-old was consistent enough throughout the year to end 2005 fourth in the IAAF World Rankings for the Event.

Smith, on the other hand, topped the world in 2005 with a 15.11m effort in the Triple Jump. She took gold (her first major international medal) in Helsinki, the day after Jamaica’s 43rd anniversary of Independence. The London-based 29-year-old also finished the year tied for the best distance in her event, and ended 2005 second in her event on the IAAF World Rankings.

Terry Finisterre for the IAAF

 

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