As expected, the world's top athletes - Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce - walked away with top honours at Scotiabank/Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) Golden Cleats Awards. I will be looking forward to an extraordinary year with these young athletes as they continue to dominate, said Fraser-Pryce, in reference to the likes of IAAF World Youth stars Bryan, Thompson, Michael 0'Hara, Jaheel Hyde, Martin Manley and Marvin Williams, who helped Jamaica to a historic table-topping performance at the championships held in Donetsk, Ukraine, earlier this year.
Jamaica's Usain Bolt and [Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pruce]-Pryce, along with Jessica Ennis, Missy Franklin, Andy Murray, Michael Phelps, Ye Shiwen, Bradley Wiggins and Serena Williams, are among those who received nominations when the shortlist was announced in Rio de Janeiro Monday, December 17. With the exception of Lindsey Vonn, who won her fourth overall skiing World Cup in five years, the nominations for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award are all dominated by the Olympics. Jamaica's Shelly- Ann Fraser-Pryce, the fastest woman on earth after successfully defending her 100m Olympic title, and Britain's Jessica Ennis, who won the heptathlon gold in front of an ecstatic home crowd, are also among the six nominees.
"Overall, I'm just happy to come away with a win," said [Fraser-Pryce]. "Today I didn't run according to how I wanted but still came out with a viotory. That made me happy. There is a lot more room for improvement in the 200m, and I'm looking forward to more races to see how best I can put a complete race together." The men's 100m also featured three Jamaicans, but it was American Justin Gatlin. 9.97 - the Olympic lOOm bronze medallist, who crossed the line first in a tight finish; barely bettering his compatriot Mike Rodgers and Jamaican Olympic 4x1 00m relay gold-medal winner Neata Carter, who both posted season-best times of 9.99. Jamaican Shericka Williams struggled in sixth place, despite posting a season best 52.23 with 200m specialist [Felix] running second in 50.19 and Great Britain powerhouse Christine Ohuruogu finishing third in a 50.53 season's best.
Usain Bolt and his Jamaican teammate Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce have been shortlisted for the United States Sports Academy Athlete-of-the-Year Award 2013.