The St Vincent & The Grenadines Amateur Athletics Association held its annual Awards Ceremony recently, and two of the island-nation's representatives at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in Athens, Greece were named as the most outstanding athletics achievers of the calendar year 2004.
The women's recipient was Natasha Mayers, who ran a season-best 11.14 in June to finish sixth in the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic. The University of Southern California graduate went on to finish second at the Grand Prix Regione Lombardia, before beating 2001 World Champion Zhanna Block at the Spitzenleichtathletik meeting in Luzern.
The 25-year-old Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) record-holder was second again at Rome's MGK-Vis Golden Gala, but this time in 11.17, her second-fastest time of the year. Qualifying for both the 100m and 200m in Athens, she made it into the second round of the 100m before injury forced her withdrawal.
Andy Grant was named male athlete of the year. He ran for SVG at the North and Central American and Caribbean under-23 Championships in Sherbrooke, Canada. He had a courageous run in Athens, competing with his back strapped after sustaining an injury in Greece. He finished eighth in his heat.
Terry Finisterre for the IAAF