Hardloopnieuws

Door Gary Smith

Asafa Powell genomineerd

FLORIDA, USA: Jamaicas 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell is among five athletes nominated for the USA Today and United States Sports Academy 2005 Athlete of the Year Award.

Powell
However, while Powell is the only track and field nominee in the mens division, the womens category, which is being led by World Indoor and Outdoor pole vault record holder Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia, has four nominees.Powell made it into the draw despite a premature end to his 2005 season, due to a groin injury. The Jamaican enters the poll with his stunning 9.77seconds world record performance at the IAAF Athens Tsiklitria Super Grand Prix meeting on June 14 of this year, a time that eclipsed the previous mark by 0.01seconds, set by banned American sprinter Tim Montgomery.

Ook Dibaba
Another Caribbean super-star Tim Duncan from the US Virgin Islands is also among the male nominees. Duncan plays professionally for defending NBA champions San Antonio Spurs and he, along with Powell, will be contending with the likes of cycling legend Lance Armstrong, golfing legend and PGAs career money leader Tiger Woods, as well as Bode Miller (skiing) and Roger Federer (tennis) for the award.Joining Isinbayeva in the womens grouping are: Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH), Deena Kastor (USA) and Paula Radcliffe (GBR). Unlike Powell, Isinbayeva is the hot favourite for the womens award, following her record-breaking performances this year. The Russian cleared 4.95m, 4.96m and 5.0m early in the year, before bettering those marks with a clearance of 5.01m in gloomy conditions in Helsinki, which saw her not only winning the world title, but also achieving her 18th world record for both indoors and outdoors.

© Carribean News