Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer 
POWELL
JAMAICA'S 100-METRE World Record holder Asafa Powell was this week named Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Athlete of the Year for 2005.
Despite missing half of the 2005 season, Powell broke American Tim Montgomery's two-year-old record of 9.78 with a blazing 9.77 run on June 14, at an IAAF Super Grand Prix Meet in Athens' Olympic stadium.
Powell is off the island and was unable to comment, but the man who prepared him, his coach Stephen Francis, expressed delight.
"I think it's great for him," Francis said.
SOLID ACHIEVEMENT
The coach, whose other athletes Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Michael Frater secured bronze and silver respectively in the 100m hurdles and 100m at the World Championships, said Powell's achievement is also good for his programme.
"I think it's great for our programme and the recognition you get," he pointed out.
A groin injury at the Norwich Union Grand Prix meeting in London on July 22, cut short Powell's season, preventing
the Jamaican star athlete from performing at the World Championships just weeks later.
Despite that, Powell ended with the three fastest times of the year.
His 9.77, 9.84 and 9.85 still remain atop the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) list, plus a 9.98 which also falls among the top 10 best times this season.
On the basis of these per-formances Powell, 22, was short-listed among five athletes for the IAAF Athlete of the Year and Performance of the Year awards.
Powell and Cuban World Record javelin thrower Osleidys Menéndez, who won the female award, were selected by a panel of Central America and the Caribbean Athletic Confederation (CACAC) specialists and will now receive their CAC Athlete
of the Year awards in their respective countries, at a date to be announced.
The awards will be handed out by CACAC and North America, Central America and the Caribbean Track and Field Coaches Associa-tion (NACACTFCA) president Victor Lopez.
The sprinter will be decorated during the CACAC Hall of Fame ceremony in Jamaica and Menen-dez will be honoured at the Gala celebrating the centennial of Cuban athletics in Havana. Both events will be held in early November.
Former javelin thrower Dionisio Quintana, who has coached Menén-dez since 1994, was named the CAC Coach of the Year.
Previous CAC Athlete of the Year awards went to Dominican Republic's 400m hurdler Felix Sanchez and Mexico's Ana Guevara (2002 and 2003).
Last year World and Olympic 400m hurdles gold medallist Sanchez shared the honours
with The Bahamas' World and Olympic 400m champion, Tonique Williams-Darling.
