TOP STARS? .... McLeod, Atkinson head National Sports Awards nominations
Olympic and World Championships 110m hurdles champion Omar McLeod and swimmer Alia Atkinson head the list of male and female nominees for this year’s RJRGLEANER National Sportsman and Sportswoman of Year awards.
The 25-year-old McLeod, who has a personal best of 12.90 seconds, turned in an excellence performance to win the gold medal at the World Championships in London in August.
Among the list of male nominees are world 100m and 200m record holder Usain Bolt, cricketers Chris Gayle, Nikita Miller and Chadwick Walton, Reggae Boyz goalkeeper Andre Blake, and squash star Christopher Binnie.
Atkinson, who ended the year as the number one swimmer for the short course for both the 50m and 100m breaststroke, heads the list of three female nominees.
NEW ADDITIONS
The other female nominees are Elaine Thompson, who won the IAAF 100m Diamond League title this year and Ristananna Tracey, a bronze medallist in the women’s 400m hurdles at the World Championships in London in August.
Meanwhile, McLeod, Blake along with footballer Kemar Lawrence, cricketer Oshane Thomas and boxer Kemahl Russell are the nominees for this year’s People Choice Performance of the year award.
The ISSA Schoolboy and Schoolgirl Awards, The Gleaner Iconic Award and the Sports World Magazine Award will also be presented as new additions at the event.
However, the nominees for these awards will be announced at a later date.
There will also be VMBS Young and Outstanding Upcoming Talented Headliner Award.
The awards, which will be held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston on Friday, January 19, is being presented in partnership with the Victoria Mutual Building Society, J. Wray and Nephew, Pure Country Juices, The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, Main Event Entertainment Group, TVJ-SN, The Gleaner, RETV, and Hitz92FM.
The two-hour event will be broadcast live on TVJ and streamed live across the globe through 1SpotMedia.