Fraser

Olympic relay gold medallist, Asafa Powell, believes Olympic 100m champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser, should have also been selected for the 2008 Sportswoman of the Year award.

"I think if there was going to be a tie, I think it would have been a three-way because Shelly-Ann Fraser did something that no other Jamaican woman has ever done before," noted Powell, who anchored Jamaica to a world record 37.10 seconds in the Olympic 4x100m final.

On Friday night, the RJR Sports Foundation's selection panel announced Olympic 200m and 400m hurdles gold medallists Veronica Campbell-Brown and Melaine Walker joint winners of the Sportswoman of the Year award.

The selection panel is chaired by Jamaica Olympic Association president, Mike Fennell, and also includes Clement Radcliffe, the former Inter-Secondary Sports Association president, veteran journalist Courtney Sergeant, Olympian Grace Jackson and former Gleaner senior Sports Editor, Tony Becca.

Some special way

Fraser, the first Jamaican to win the Olympic 100m title, was, however, selected by the Jamaican public for the 'People's Choice Performance' of the Year.

Powell said the fact that the panel overlooked the historical achievement of his MVP club teammate, Fraser, "I think she should have been recognised in some way ... if not the Sportswoman of the Year, in some way," he added, then reiterated "I think she should have been in there (for Sportswoman of the Year)."

Powell confessed it would have been difficult to chose one, but concluded: "I think the three of them should have shared it."

As it related to the men's award, Powell said it was a no contest, and he and the other male nominees all wanted to show their support for winner Usain Bolt.