Justin Gatlin eases through the 100m quarter finals (© Getty Images)
World champion sprinters Justin Gatlin and Allyson Felix were named winners of the 2005 Jesse Owens Award by USA Track & Field yesterday. The 2004 Owens honoree, Gatlin becomes a two-time Jesse Owens Award winner, while Felix has earned the distinction for the first time in her young career.
Established in 1981, the Jesse Owens Award is USA Track & Field's highest accolade, presented annually to the outstanding U.S. male and female track and field performers. This year's awards will be presented on 1 December at the Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Jacksonville, Fla. The ceremony is held in conjunction with USA Track & Field's 2005 Annual Meeting 30 November - 4 December in Jacksonville, at which IAAF President Lamine Diack will this year be in attendance as an honoured guest.
Gatlin - World double
Gatlin is IAAF World Ranked number one for 100m and third ranked at 200m. He won the 100/200m double at the World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki, Finland, and earlier on at the USA Championships. The Olympic champion’s 100m win in Helsinki came with a time of 9.88, defeating the rest of the field by the biggest margin in World Championship history (.17 seconds). His 200m victory (20.04) made him only the second man ever to complete a successful 100/200 double at the Worlds, following Maurice Greene in 1999.
"I was thrilled to be the recipient of the Jesse Owens Award in 2004, and to win it again this year is simply amazing," Gatlin said. "My congratulations go out to everyone on the U.S. team that did such a fantastic job at the World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki, and to each of the 2005 Jesse Owens Award finalists for all their amazing accomplishments."
Felix - Teenage star
Teenager Allyson Felix is the IAAF World Ranked number one for 200m and 10th ranked for 100m. She dominated the women's 200m in 2005, winning every race she entered and coming away with her first senior World title, coming from behind to win the World 200m championship in 22.16 seconds over a field that included Olympic champion Veronica Campbell. In the process, she became the only teenager ever to win a world sprint title. The long-striding Felix, who turned 20 years of age on 18 November, also won the U.S. outdoor title in a world season leading 22.13.
"This is the highest honour that an active U.S. athlete can receive, and I'm humbled to be chosen for this recognition," Felix said. "When I think of all the great competitors that have won this award in the past and look at the wonderful U.S. athletes currently competing in our sport, I'm filled with a tremendous sense of pride and gratitude."
The Jesse Owens Award
2005 Jesse Owens Award winners were selected in balloting of members of the U.S. track & field media. Other finalists for the men's Jesse Owens Award were Bryan Clay, Bershawn Jackson, Adam Nelson, Dwight Phillips and Jeremy Wariner. Women's finalists were Lashinda Demus, Tianna Madison, Michelle Perry, Sanya Richards and Lauryn Williams.
The permanent commemorative Jesse Owens Award is maintained at USATF National Headquarters, and a replica is provided to each of the winners.
Previous winners are - Edwin Moses (1981), Carl Lewis (1982 and 1991), Mary Decker (1983), Joan Benoit (1984), Willie Banks (1985), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1986 and 1987), Florence Griffith Joyner (1988), Roger Kingdom (1989), Lynn Jennings (1990), Kevin Young (1992), Gail Devers (1993, 1996), Michael Johnson (1994, 1995 1996), Allen Johnson (1997), Marion Jones (1997, 1998, 2002), John Godina (1998, 2001), Inger Miller (1999), Maurice Greene (1999), Stacy Dragila (2000 and 2001), Angelo Taylor (2000), Tim Montgomery (2002), Deena Kastor (2003), Tom Pappas (2003), Justin Gatlin (2004 and 2005) and Joanna Hayes (2004).
USATF