Friday, November 10, 2006

by Gary Smith
Caribbean Net News Sports Correspondent
Email: gary@caribbeannetnews.com

OKLAHOMA, USA: Jamaican speedsters, Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson, who are both members of the MVP Track Club in their homeland are among a short list of athletes from which the 2006 World Athletes of the Year will be chosen.

Powell and Simpson were selected from the original 20 candidates who were shortlisted at the end of last week. The announcement was made by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Wednesday.

Powell, the co-world record holder over the men's 100-metres, is joined by Lithuanian discus thrower, Virgilijus Alekna, and Chinese 110-metre world record holder and Olympic champion, Liu Xiang. The 23-year-old who bagged his first major title at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia in late March, produced 12 sub-10 seconds clocking this season, including matching the world record time of 9.77 twice.

After promising to deliver something special in London, he first equalled the time at the Norwich Union British Grand Prix at the Gateshead International Stadium on June 11 before showing his efforts were no fluke by doing it again in Zurich.

Simpson, another athlete who dominated on the circuit this season, will battle it out with Jamaican-born American quarter-miler Sanya Richards and Ethiopian star distance runner Meseret Defar.

Simpson led the world this season over 100m and 200m with respective times of 10.82 and 22.00 (twice). She broke the 10-seconds barrier seven times this season, three of which were under 10.90.

Both Powell and Simpson, who recently were selected the best Central American and Caribbean Athletes of the Year will fly out of Jamaica on Friday en route for Monaco, the city in which the World Athletics Gala Ceremony will be held. At the ceremony on Sunday, the six athletes on the poll will be judged by a special jury and the two winners will be announced.

  Most popular articles: viewed, printed and e-mailed

  Printable version