Leevan Sands of the Bahamas qualifies for the Triple Jump final (© Getty Images)
World Indoor Championships 400m silver medallist Christine Amertil and Leevan ”Superman” Sands, the Triple Jump bronze medallist at the World outdoor Championships in Paris, respectively won the women's and men's Athlete of the Year Awards at the Bahamas AAA’s fourth annual Awards ceremony, held at the Wyndham Nassau Resort and Casino (18 Dec).
The above awards were in honour of Charley Major Sr. who was a world class Bahamian high jumper some seventy-five years ago.
The Junior Male Athlete of the Year went to Michael Matthieu who placed third at the Pan American Junior Championships 400m. The Junior Female Athlete of the Year went to Tavara Rigby another quarter miler.
At the youth level Britanny Munnings earned the award by leading her third Central American and Caribbean Age Group team to victory.
The Association presented its Coach of the Year Award, in honour of legendary coach Henry Crawford to Claudel McNabb, who was the coach of the CAC Age Group team. The Official of the Year Award, in honour of Roderick Simms, went to Greg Austin.
This year there were several dignitaries in attendance, including IAAF Representative for North, Central America and the Caribbean, Neville “Teddy” McCook and CAC president Victor Lopez, Hon. Herbert McKenley from Jamaica, multiple Olympic medallist with his wife Helen, as was John Carlos, bronze medallist in the 200m at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Deon Hemmings, 1996 400m Hurdles Champion who recently retired, was also at the ceremony and conducted a hurdles clinic while in Nassau.
The evening was under the patronage of Levi Gibson former president of the association.
