Bolt tops Messi for best Latin America and Caribbean athlete
Published:Monday | December 28, 2009 | 9:35 AM
Jamaica’s World and Olympic sprint champion and double world record holder, Usain Bolt has topped Argentina’s football superstar, Lionel Messi in the poll for the best Latin American and Caribbean male athlete in 2009.
Bolt gathered 45 votes to keep the trophy he won last year, while defeating the World’s Number One footballer Messi, who picked up 18 votes.
Cuban triple jump world champion, Yargelis Savigne took the women’s award.
Savigne obtained 28 votes, 12 points over Jamaican 100 metres Olympic and World Champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser, for the women’s award.
Among the other outstanding athletes of the year was Jamaican 400 metres hurdler, Melaine Walker, Argentine tennis player, Juan Martin del Potro, Cuban wrestler, Mijain Lopez, Brazilian swimmer, Cesar Cielo, Dominican Republic baseball player, Albert Pujols and Cuban cyclist, Yumari Gonzalez.