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The selectors did well this year in their choice of Jamaica’s Sportswoman of the Year! In the case of Bolt, choosing him was obvious, and a foregone conclusion. But I was hoping that the selectors would do the right thing in the case of the women, and they exceeded my expectations!
I’m also happy that Shelly-Ann Fraser got the “People’s Choice” award. Shelley-Ann still brings tears to my eyes whenever I watch my videotape of her commanding performance in the 100-meter dash in Beijing (her 10.78 is the eighth fastest time in history by any woman).
Girls notch another 'dead heat'
... Melaine Walker, Campbell-Brown share award; Bolt obliges
BY KAYON RAYNOR Senior Observer staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The twist at Friday night's 48TH National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards, where Veronica Campbell-Brown and Melaine Walker shared the female honours almost made up for the delayed staging of the event by the RJR Sports Foundation.
According to the record of former winners for the ceremony, which has recognised the achievements of the nation's athletes in all sporting disciplines since 1962, it is only the second time that that accolade has been shared.
The country's top athletics performers for 2008 (from left), Usain Bolt, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Melaine Walker, arrive for the RJR Sports Foundation Awards last Friday night at the Courtleigh Hotel in New Kingston. (Photos: Karl McLarty)
Deon Hemmings-McCatty (400m hurdles & 4x400) and Lorraine Graham-Fenton (400m & 4x400), who both finished with two silver medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, were named joint winners of the Sportswoman Award that year.
Similar to the women's 100 metres final in Beijing where the judges found it difficult to split second and third place, the selection committee of the RJR Sports Foundation also found themselves faced with a dead heat.
They judged that Walker - who incidentally was named the sectional winner of athletics for capturing gold in the 400m hurdle at the Bejing Games in a record 52.64 seconds - and Campbell-Brown - who retained her 200m title from Athens in a life-time best 21.74secs - could just not be separated.
Chairman of the Sports Foundation, Chris Dehring, told the Sunday Observer it was impossible to choose a single winner.
"There were so many debates, it went back and forth and at the end of the day the consensus was that the performance of the two ladies were identical virtually.
"They both won gold; they both had had outstanding seasons where they had lost one race. It was just impossible, too close to call, much like Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart in the 100 metres, and so they decided the unprecedented move of having a shared Sportswoman of the year," Dehring explained.
Campbell-Brown, who winning the award for the third year after 2004 and 2007, said she was proud to share the accolade with Walker.
"Beijing was great for all of us and I appreciate this award because we are all winners," she said.
Walker, who congratulated the two-time Olympic champion, confessed that she always dreamed on being named Sportswoman of the year.
"I'm feeling very happy today and I'm just loving the support from my family, Stephen Francis my coach, I would like to tell him thanks because he's the one that got me to where I am today," Walker said.
"By the grace of God, hopefully, I can do it next year again, but at least I've had it once and I can tell my grandchildren," she added.
As expected, Usain Bolt received his first Sportsman of the Year Award for his history-making triple gold medal feat at the Beijing Olympics. He was also the winner of the Athletics male category.
Bolt, Walker and Campbell-Brown each received $400,000, in addition to their Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year trophies.
No runner-up was named on the female side, while Cricketer of the Year, Jerome Taylor, was second to Bolt in the male category.
Meanwhile, the 'People's Choice Performance of the Year Award' went to Olympic 100m champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser, who clocked a lifetime best 10.78secs, while former West Indies and Jamaica captain, Jimmy Adams, received the Chairman's Award.
Certificates of Merit were awarded to Sylvester Campbell for contribution to Netball; Theodore Whitmore for Football, and Wilbert Parkes and Brandford Gayle for their contributions to sports administration.
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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