Thompson Herah, Parchment on top for 2021
Sprinter, hurdler named Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year respectively at the 2021 RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation National Awards
Published:Saturday | January 22, 2022 | 12:08 AM
The overwhelming favourites, sprinter Elaine Thompson Herah and hurdler Hansle Parchment, were crowned Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year, respectively, at the 2021 RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards last night.
The event was a virtual affair due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thompson Herah, who had an outstanding year and was also named World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year, won her second Sportsman of the Year award, mainly on the basis of her Tokyo Olympics gold medal triple – 100 metres, 200m and 4x100m – in Tokyo and her amazing 10.54 seconds run over 100m in a Diamond League meet in Eugene, Oregon. Parchment lifted the award for the first time after mining gold in the 110 metres hurdles in Tokyo.
Runners-up for the two major titles were sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and hurdler Ronald Levy. Fraser-Pryce took silver in the 100m behind Thompson Herah in Tokyo while Levy earned bronze in the 110m hurdles.
Other major awards presented were the Chairman’s Award to veteran journalist Lance Whittaker for more than 35 years of excellence in sports journalism at the national, regional and international levels and The Gleaner Newspaper Iconic Award which went to former West Indies fast bowler and now retired ace cricket commentator Michael Holding.
HISTORIC WIN
The People’s Choice ‘Performance of the Year Award’ went to Fraser McConnell for his historic win in the Nordic Rally Cross Series in February. Edwin Allen High’s sprinter Tina Clayton won the VM Group Youth Award for her victory in the 100m at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, last year. Also presented on the night were the Secondary School Awards (ISSA) to Javier Brown of Jamaica College; and Tina Clayton of Edwin Allen High.
Among the Athletes of the Year by sport (Category Awards) and Certificates of Merit were Ali Atkinson and Yona Knight Wisdom – Aquatics, Nkrumah Bonner and Stafanie Taylor – Cricket; Andre Blake and Khadija Shaw – Football; Justin Burrowes and Jodi Munn-Barrow – Golf and Blaise Bicknell and Catherine Dibbs – Tennis. The event, hosted by the RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation, was sponsored by: Victoria Mutual Group, J. Wray & Nephew Limited, Pure Country Juice, Digicel, Television Jamaica, Television Jamaica Sports Network, Radio Jamaica 94FM, Power 106FM, HITZ 92FM, RETV, JNN and The Gleaner.