Jamaicans believe the world record performances of sprint hurdler, Tobi Amusan and quartermile barrier runner, Sydney McLaughlin have made the battle for the 2022 Women’s World Athlete of the Year between the hurdling duo.
Two Jamaicans, World 200m winner, Shericka Jackson and World 100m champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce are in the mix but the Jamaican media do not feel they can win the award.
Jackson ran the second-fastest 200m of all time at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon to win the world title while Fraser-Pryce clocked seven sub-10.7 times this season. This is in addition to winning her fifth world 100m title at the World Championships.
‘However, the two have to contend with the world-record performances of Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan and the United States’ Sydney McLaughlin.
‘McLaughlin broke the world record twice this year with her most recent barrier-breaking performance coming in Oregon in 50.68. Amusan shattered the hurdles record in the semi-finals of the championships, clocking 12.12,’ wrote top Jamaican newspaper, The Gleaner.
Another athlete who can challenge the duo is the reigning Olympics, World Indoor and World Outdoor champion in the triple jump, Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela.
The year, 2022 is also a record breaking one for the Venezuelan coached by the great Ivan Pedroso.
She set a new 15.74m world record in the triple jump in March before adding the World Indoor title later that month in Belgrade, Serbia.
Rojas also claimed her third consecutive World outdoor title in Oregon after winning in 2017 and 2019 and crowned a very successful year with the Diamond League trophy in Zurich, Switzerland in September.
