Quartermiler Renny Quow and hurdler Josanne Lucas each collected a third major Athlete of the Year honour for 2009 when the National Association of Athletic Administration (NAAA) bestowed on them, their top awards at its annual presentation ceremony held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain last evening.
The Tobagonian duo had already been named Athlete of the Year by the Trinidad Guardian Newspapers Sports Desk on December 23, and the T&T Olympic Committee six days later. They are now clear favourites to win the First Citizens' Sports Foundation "Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year" titles, which will be announced later this year.
Quow, 22, set a personal best in the 400m (44.53 seconds) during the semifinal round of the World Championships in Berlin, Germany. It was the second fastest time in 2009 and the second fastest in T&T history. He later earned a bronze medal in the final in 45.02 seconds, establishing himself as the first T&T quartermiler in the 26-year history of the championships to secure a podium finish.
Lucas, 25, became T&T's first female athlete to medal at a senior global meet when she got bronze in the 400 metres hurdles bronze in 53.20 seconds (a new national record) at the World Championships. It was the third fastest time of the year and the 17th fastest of all time. She ended her season in September with another bronze, at the VTB Bank World Athletic finals in Thessaloniki (Greece), clocking 54.31 seconds.
Middle Distance Runner Jehue Gordon, 17, was named Junior Male Athlete of the Year, adding to his Junior Sportsman of the Year award at the TTOC's ceremony at the Cascadia Hotel, St Ann's on Tuesday. When he qualified for the 400m Hurdles finals at the aforementioned World Championships he became the youngest ever finalist of any Men's sprint event in the championships' history.
The Queen's Royal College student upper Sixth student, also the youngest person to ever be ranked in the top ten in the world (8th) in the 400m Hurdles. The award for Junior Woman Athlete of the year was shared between Hileen James and Ashley Smith. Olympic gold medallist Hasely Crawford and Ato Boldon, five time Olympic medallist, were in attendance as well as the Tobago House of Assembly's Orville London and the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Gary Hunt.
In his address, Hunt said that Quow and Lucas had continued the proud sporting legacy of the sister island. "Tobago has always produced outstanding sporting personalities and Renny Quow and Josanne Lucas are timely reminders of the large talent pool over on that beautiful island. I have no doubt that the NAAA will build on their achievements and unearth more and more talent, not only in Tobago but throughout the country." Hunt also spoke about the Ministry's vision for the future which, he predicted, would take sport in T&T to a new level. "T&T is on the verge of a golden era in sport and our sportsmen and women will rise to unprecedented heights in the near future...The government is on the forefront of the process and we are taking steps to ensure that this rising tide of sporting talent reaches its fullest potential." He revealed that the Ministry was on the verge of starting a "new, exciting and innovative project entitled 'The Way–Pathways to Sporting Excellence'," which he described as "a systematic and long term approach to the development of sport in T&T designed to create an environment where athletes, coaches, administrators and sport professionals can acheive their optimum potential."
Junior Athlete of the Year, Jehue Gordon of QRC, from left; Rupert Quow; the father of the NAAA Men's Athlete of the Year, Renny Quow; Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Gary Hunt; Orville London, Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly; and Junior Women's Athlete of the Year, Hileen James, pose during the National Association of Athletic Administration's annual ceremony held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain last evening.
