Fraser-Pryce, Jackson headline Sportswoman of the Year nominees

ALTHOUGH MISSING out on World Athletic Female of the Year award honours, five-time 100-metre World champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and World 200m champion Shericka Jackson will go head to head for Jamaica’s highest individual sporting prize as they lead a strong group of nominees for the 2022 RJRGLEANER National Sportswoman of the Year award.

The nominees were released on Monday with the event returning to its live format at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in January after going virtual this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fraser-Pryce and Jackson are among a list of six nominees for the award, which include World Championship 100-metre hurdles silver medallist Britany Anderson, Commonwealth Games champion high jumper Lamara Distin, national netball captain and five-time Suncorp Super Netball Player of the Year winner Jhaniele Fowler, World Championship triple jump silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts, Commonwealth Games 400m hurdles champion Janieve Russell and double sprint Commonwealth Games champion Elaine Thompson-Herah.

Fraser-Pryce, who could win her fifth National Sportswoman of the Year honour is coming off a season where she ran seven sub-10.70-second 100m times, including her 10.67 championship record performance to retain her title at the World Championship in Oregon in July. She also won the Diamond League in the event. Jackson took her first major individual global title in Oregon when she won the 200m in a championship record of 21.45, the second fastest time in history. Should she win, it would be the first National Sportswoman of the Year award of her career.

For Sportsman of the Year, athletics and cricket were the main representatives, as Commonwealth Games 110m-hurdles champion Rasheed Broadbell, Commonwealth Games 400m-hurdles silver medallist Jaheel Hyde, and Jamaican cricketer Rovman Powell are the three nominees.

Broadbell captured the first major medal of his career at the Commonwealth Games, while Hyde upgraded to silver from his 2018 bronze in Australia.

Powell led the Jamaica Tallwahs to victory in the 2022 Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament as well as the Jamaica Scorpions to the Super 50 title.

The nominees for people’s choice Performance of the Year include cricketer Fabian Allen’s wonder catch for the Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL, Fraser-Pryce’s 10.67 100m championship record run, Harbour View’s Nicholas Hamilton’s wonder goal in the Jamaica Premier League play-offs, Jackson’s 21.45 championship record 200m performance and the Reggae Girlz 4-0 win over Haiti securing back-to-back Women’s World Cup berths. The winners will be revealed on January 20.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com

Nominees for RJRGLEANER National Sportswoman of the Year

Britany Anderson

Lamara Distin

Jhaniele Fowler-Reid

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Shericka Jackson

Shanieka Ricketts

Janieve Russell

Elaine Thompson-Herah

Nominees for RJR GLEANER National Sportsman of the Year

Rasheed Broadbell

Jaheel Hyde

Rovman Powell

Performance of the Year Nominees

Jamaica Tallawahs Fabian Allen wonder catch in Caribbean Premier League.

Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce 10.67 100m championship run.

Shericka Jackson 200m 21.45 championship record run

Harbour View’s Nicholas Hamilton wonder goal in 2022 Jamaica Premier League Playoffs.

Reggae Girlz 4-0 win over Haiti to qualify for Women’s World Cup 2023