WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP silver medallist long jumper James Beckford leads all men in the Carreras Sports Foundation's 2003 Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards to be held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel tonight at 7:00.
Beckford, who caught the world's attention by winning silver at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, heads the list of the nine men nominated for the prestigious award.
Four-hundred metre specialist Lorraine Fenton and sprint hurdler Brigitte Foster are the frontrunners among the 10 women nominated for Sportswoman of the Year. Both won silver at last year's World Champs and ended the year ranked second in their respective event.
Foster, who was last year's winner, took top honours at last July's Pan American Games. She also set a national record at the Prefontaine Classic in May over the obstacle event in 12.45 seconds.
Also named among the female nominees are sprinter Allison Beckford, a member of the relay teams which won bronze at the World Championships and silver at the Pan American Games; swimmer Janelle Atkinson, Pan American bronze medallist (400 & 800m freestyle); Nigella Saunders, Pan American badminton gold medallist; Carla Williams, third highest scoring average at World Netball Championships; Lacena Golding-Clarke, 100m Pan American bronze winner; Beverly McDonald, 100m finalist at World Championships; Jamaica and NCAA sprint double champion Aleen Bailey; and Vonette Dixon, World Championships 100m hurdle finalist.
Michael Blackwood, 2002 Sportsman of the Year, Chris Gayle, West Indies all-rounder and Germaine Mason, who won gold at the Pan American Games and broke the national record three times last year, also number among the male nominees.
West Indies cricketer Wavell Hinds, 400m hurdlers Danny McFarlane and Kemel Thompson, Pan American Games badminton doubles bronze medallist Charles Pyne and Pan American Games gold medallist sprinter Michael Frater complete that category.
