Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

Campbell-Brown

Olympic and World Championships gold medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown and World Championship silver medal winner, decathlete Maurice Smith are the 2007 Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) Male and Female Athletes of the Year.

The presentation ceremony, in its second year, was held at the Hilton Kingston hotel in St. Andrew yesterday. It also recognised partners and sponsors who have continued to contribute to the development of track and field in Jamaica, including Supreme Ventures Limited, Jamaica Drug for the Elderly and sporting goods manufacturers, Puma.

National senior track and field team head coach, Glen Mills, was awarded Coach of the Year, while world 100m record holder Asafa Powell received the International Association of Athletics Federation medal for bettering his own 100m world record, lowering it from 9.77 to an incredible 9.74 seconds.

Recognition

The awards were created to recognise athletes who have done well for themselves and the JAAA, and have represented Jamaica to the rest of the world at the highest level. It is intended to encourage athletes to excel and compete at the international level, in anticipation of representing Jamaica at the Olympic Games.

"Jamaica have excelled at the highest level in track and field and even more now in the non-track and field events," noted JAAA president Howard Aris. "Expectations are normally very high of our athletes and these athletes have done us proud."

Representation

Maurice Smith (left) reacts as he receives his Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) 2007 Sportsman of the Year award from Howard Aris, president of the JAAA, at their annual awards ceremony, held at the Hilton Kingston hotel in St. Andrew yesterday. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Olympic silver medallist and first vice-president of the JAAA, Grace Jackson, stated that it was important for the national association to recognise athletes who competed and represented Jamaica at the national and international level.

"We are here to honour those who have done well in athletics in the last year. Athletes have talent but without guidance, motivation and support they may not realise their full potential," she said.

Smith is the current national record holder in the men's decathlon, with 8,644 points. Last year he copped gold at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and topped it off with silver at the 11th International Association of Athletics Federation World Championships in Osaka, Japan.

Buoyed by two personal best performances, Maurice Smith achieved one of the greatest sporting feats by becoming the first Jamaican to win the decathlon silver medal at the World Champs.

In Osaka, Smith set a national record 8,644 points, beating his previous best of 8,349 to finish second behind Olympic, European champion and world record holder 1Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic (8,676).

"It's a bit overwhelming for me," Smith said. "Decathlon events are underrated but that did not stop me. I realised that after my performance at the World Championships I could be the best in the world. I was willing to take on the challenge and now I am really proud of myself."

A four-time Olympic medallist, Campbell-Brown is the current Olympic 200m and World 100m champion.

At the 2007 World Championships, Campbell-Brown won three medals with gold in the 100 metres, silver in the 200m and silver in the 4x100 metres relay.

She was absent from yesterday's function but will collect her award from the JAAA's at a later date.