KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Predictably, Olympic and World sprint champions Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser were named Athletes-of-the-Year for 2009.

The two copped the Golden Cleats award when the Jamaica Athletic Association held their annual prize-giving ceremony on Friday at Jamaica House.

It was the second straight year that Bolt, the World record-holder over 100 and 200 metres, had claimed the award.

“It’s always an honour to be (recognised) by your countrymen,” said the 23-year-old Bolt, who last November captured the World Male Athlete-of-the-Year prize.

Bolt was the obvious choice, following a year in which he lowered his previous World records set a year earlier at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

He clocked 9.58 seconds in the 100 and 19.19 secs in the 200 to strike gold at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany, last August.
Fraser broke Merlene Ottey’s 13-year-old national record in the 100m, when she crossed the finish line in 10.73 secs.
“I am feeling good, as anybody else would feel to be recognised,” she said.
“If Melaine or Brigitte had won, I would have felt the same for them because I train with them, so I know the hard work that they put in.”
Fraser prevailed in the women’s awards over World 100m hurdles champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton, as well as Olympic and World 400m hurdles Melaine Walker.

Stephen Francis, who coaches all three women, was named Coach-of-the-Year, despite his fall-out with the Association prior to the World Championships over the attendance of his athletes at a national training camp in Stuttgart.