Big names lead charge for JAAA's Golden Cleats Awards

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

The Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association will be hosting its annual Golden Cleats Awards Luncheon at the Terra Nova All Suites Hotel in Kingston this afternoon as it celebrates the outstanding achievements of the island's top athletes in 2010.

Sponsored by Scotiabank, the event will also see the announcing of the Coach of the Year Award by the Bernie Panton-led selection committee.

Quarter-miler Jermaine Gonzales and Olympic and world double-sprint champion, Usain Bolt, headline the list of male candidates, while the female recipient is expected to come from sprint queen Veronica Campbell-Brown, 400m hurdler Kaliese Spencer and Trecia Smith.

Gonzales enjoyed a remarkable 2010 season, breaking the national 400m record with a time of 44.40 seconds - the third-fastest time over the distance last year.

Injury setbacks

The former Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, who has endured a string of injury setbacks over the years, returned to his best form to establish himself as the top quarter-miler for the year, along with American Jeremy Wariner.

Bolt, who has the top-two fastest times ever recorded in the 200m, ran a blistering 19.56 seconds to open his season early last year inside the National Stadium. The time is the fourth-fastest in history over the distance and is only eclipsed by previous world records - his own runs of 19.30 seconds and 19.19 seconds, as well as Michael Johnson's 19.31 seconds.

Lerone Clarke, on the back of his 10.12 seconds gold medal-winning run at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India and Nesta Carter, the fourth-fastest 100m man ever with 9.78, have also been nominated.

On the female side, Campbell-Brown looks set to walk away with top honours after winning the 60m title in 7.00 seconds flat at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar. Campbell-Brown also ran the fastest 100m (10.78 seconds) and 200m (21.98 seconds) during the year.

MVP athlete Kaliese Spencer enjoyed her break-out season last year, winning the 400m hurdles event at the IAAF Diamond League; and posted the fourth-fastest time in the world, 53.33 seconds.

Commonwealth Games triple jump champion Trecia-Kay Smith, and Sheree Francis, the high jump silver medallist from the Common-wealth and CAC Games, are the other front-runners.

MVP's head coach Stephen Francis and his Racers Track Club counterpart Glen Mills are the main contenders for the Coach of the Year award.