Sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown, bolt tops in sport for 2011

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

Jamaica's sprinting megastar Usain Bolt was last night named as Jamaica’s top sportsman, while fellow track star Veronica Campbell-Brown took the female honours at the RJR Sports Foundation National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards Ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus in New Kingston last night. 
 
Campbell-Brown was her usual impressive self last season, romping her way to a first ever IAAF World Championships 200m gold medal shortly after helping herself to a silver medal in the 100m at the same championships.

The four-time Sportswoman of the year winner also helped Jamaica to a silver medal in the women’s 4x100m relay in Daegu at the World Championships.

Cricketing dynamo Stafanie Taylor was announced as the runner-up Sportswoman of the Year.

The 20 year-old had another excellent year in 2011, playing her way to the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award. She also ended the year as the number one ranked all-rounder in the world; number two in batting and number seven in bowling in the World One Day rankings.

Other female nominees included WBC Junior Featherweight champion Alicia Ashley, Pan American Games 200m individual medley silver medalist Alia Atkinson, 400m hurdles Diamond League winner Kaliese Spencer and World Championships 400m hurdles silver medalist Melaine Walker.

In the male category, Bolt, who was also named as the IAAF’s Male Athlete of the Year late last year after his exploits in Daegu, got the nod ahead of his training partner and 100m world champion Yohan Blake, whose claim was also supported by an amazing 19.26 seconds 200m run in Brussels at a Diamond League meet.

That was the second fastest 200m in history, but that wasn’t deemed enough to better the performance of Bolt, who in addition to winning gold in the 200m at the IAAF World Championships, also ended the year unbeaten and registered the fastest 100m time for the year, 9.76 – the eight fastest time over the distance in history.

The pair also accounted for the two final legs in Jamaica’s world record-breaking 4x100m relay team at the IAAF World Championships.

Cricketer Marlon Samuels, who scored over 600 runs in regional first class competition, Powell, Lerone Clarke, the Pan American Games 100m champion and boxer Nicholas Walters, who successfully defended his WBA Fedelatin title last year where the other male nominees.

Several other sectional awards were presented for top players in respective sporting disciplines as well as the public vote decided People’s Choice Awards.