San Juan PUR - Jamaica’s 100m World record holder Asafa Powell and Cuba’s Triple Jump world champion Yargelis Savigne were selected the best Central American and Caribbean athletes of the Year, following a very close voting among the region’s 14 individual medallists in Osaka.

Powell was elected for the third consecutive year, but this time the 25-year old sprinter had a tougher opposition from the area’s two male world champions: Panama’s Irving Saladino and Bahamas’ Donald Thomas.

Small injuries prevented him from competing in over a month in a lead-up to Osaka, where he could only win bronze behind USA’s Tyson Gay and Bahamian sensation Derrick Atkins.

He anchored Jamaica to a new national and CAC record of 37.89 for silver in the 4x100m relay.

A week later, he proved to be the world’s fastest man as he smashed his own world record with an easy 9.74 second run in the heats of the Rieti Grand Prix. He won the final in 9.78.

He went on to win the Brussels Golden League (9.84) and renewed his World Athletics Final title in Stuttgart with a competition record of 9.83. Osaka was his only loss in seven 100m finals.

Counting the vote of the media and fans through the Central American and Caribbean Athletics Confederation’s CACAC website (www.athlecac.org), Powell totalled 902 points, followed by Panama’s first ever world champion, Long Jumper Irving Saladino (699) and Bahamas’ High Jump gold medallist Donald Thomas (657).

In her best season ever, young jumper Yargelis Savigne became the second Cuban to win the prestigious award, two years after World and Olympic javelin champion and world record holder Osleidys Menéndez.

She first improved her national indoor record to 14.80 to lead the world lists last winter. With two losses in 11 finals in the past summer, the 2005 World Championships silver medallist finally reached the 15m mark (15.07) in July and went on to claim her first major international victory with the Pan American gold in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A month later, she surprised all finalists with her massive opening leap of 15.28 for the gold in Osaka. That world leading mark placed her sixth on the all-time list.

The 23-year old sealed her season with another convincing win at the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart. She was also third at the Long Jump in Rio.

Savigne cumulated 1,090 points and edged out Jamaica’s 100m world champion and Osaka triple medallist Veronica Campbell (841). Cuba’s Osaka Hammer Throw runner-up Yipsi Moreno was a distant third (378).

Cuba took the highest honors among juniors, thanks to decathlete Yordanis Garcia and Dailenis Alcántara.

The 1.93m tall Garcia ended his junior career on a high note as he claimed the silver medal at the Pan American Games and erased the CAC junior and Cuban senior record with a new 8,257 total for the eighth place in Osaka. The 2006 World Junior Championships silver medallist scored over 8,000 points in all his decathlons.

His younger compatriot Dailenis Alcántara set a new world best at age 15 with her massive 14.21m leap in Havana. Before turning 16 in August, she confirmed her talent with the World Youth Triple Jump title in Ostrava, followed by her countrywoman Yosleidy Ribalta.

The previous recipients of the CAC Award were Dominican Republic’s Felix Sanchez and Mexico’s Ana Guevara (2004), Powell and Menéndez (2005) and Powell and Jamaica’s Sherone Simpson (2006).

Powell, Savigne, Garcia and Alcántara will be awarded in the first quarter of 2008 during the CAC Hall of Fame ceremonies to be held in Kingston and Havana.

Central America and the Caribbean obtained 18 medals (4 gold, 10 silver and 4 bronze) and with other outstanding achievements confirmed itself as one of the leading regions in athletics.

Here are the results of the voting:

Men

1. Asafa Powell JAM 902 points

2. Irving Saladino PAN 699

3. Donald Thomas BAH 657

4. Dayron Robles CUB 180

5. Maurice Smith JAM 174

6. Usain Bolt JAM 81

7. Derrick Atkins BAH 44

8. Guillermo Martínez CUB 10

9. Félix Sánchez DOM 10

10. Chris Brown BAH 3

Women

1. Yargelis Savigne CUB 1090

2. Veronica Campbell JAM 841

3. Yipsi Moreno CUB 378

4. Novlene Williams JAM 158

5. Delloreen Ennis-London JAM 102

6. Ana Guevara MEX 70

7. Yarelis Barrios CUB 40

8. Romary Rifka MEX 22

9. Yarisley Silva CUB 16

10. Rhonda Watkins TRI 10

Junior Men

1. Yordanis García CUB 1062

2. Yohan Blake JAM 467

3. Ryan Brathwaite BAR 254

4. Keston Bledman TRI 222

5. Ramone McKenzie JAM 96

6. Héctor D. Fuentes CUB 90

7. Yordanis Durañona CUB 70

8. Omar Cisneros CUB 43

9. Alonso Edwards PAN 30

10. Keneth Wallace-Whitfield BAH 10

Junior Women

1. Dailenis Alcántara CUB 680

2. Bobby-Gaye Wilkins JAM 347

3. Samantha Henry JAM 310

4. Shakera Reece BAR 202

5. Aymeé Martínez CUB 185

6.Shermaine Williams JAM 172

7. Yanet Cruz CUB 159

8. Schilonie Calvert JAM 60

9. Lesyanis Mayor CUB 60

10. Janeil Bellile TRI 47