Usain Bolt and Melaine Walker pose with their Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) Male and Female Athletes of the Year awards after yesterday's ceremony at the 'Athlete of the Year' luncheon' held at the Pegasus Hotyel yesterday. JAAA president Howard Aris (right) looks on. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

AS EXPECTED, Usain Bolt and Melaine Walker were named the Male and Female Athletes of the Year at yesterday's Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) 'Athlete of the Year' luncheon held at the Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.

Bolt had arguably the greatest ever performance by any athlete at an Olympic Games. He won the 100m (9.69 seconds), 200m (19:30) and helped Jamaica to the 4x100m (37.10) title - all in world-record times. He had already been voted the International Association of Athletics Federations' Male Athlete of the Year for 2008.

Not too confident

Despite those accomplishments, Bolt, who expressed his appreciation for the award, said he was not too confident of winning at yesterday's function.

"I always say anything is possible. I came here, like everybody else, looking and listening for the result," Bolt said. "It is good to be recognised by the JAAA because they have done a lot of work by trying to develop the athletes and track and field in Jamaica overall. I really appreciate it."

Bolt's coach, Glen Mills, was named Coach of the Year. It was also announced at the function that Mills had also won the IAAF's Coach of the Year award.

Great feeling

Meanwhile, Walker, who was in a neck-to-neck race for the female crown with Veronica Campbell-Brown, last year's winner, prevailed and she was grateful.

"Good, great," was how she described her feelings after receiving her first Female Athlete of the Year crown. "I never thought it would happen so early but God makes everything possible so I am happy, happy."

The 400m hurdler, who apart from an early defeat which came way back in February, enjoyed 14 successive victories, including her Olympic title-run.

In the year, she also became the fourth fastest woman over the one-lap hurdles event with 52.64 in the Olympic final. The mark is also the Olympic and national record.

Close race

She said, despite those impressive statistics, that it was always a close race with Campbell-Brown and even Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser.

Campbell-Brown, who lost once in the 100m and the 200m, repeated her Olympic 200m success in an impressive 21.74 seconds while Fraser secured Jamaica's first gold medal in the women's 100m.

"I know Veronica ran well and Shelly-Ann just came out and became the first (Jamaican) female to win the 100m, which is also a superb performance, but there were other things that may have contributed (towards my success)," explained Walker.

"I would not have a problem whosoever with who was chosen as the Athlete of the Year but I am glad that I am the one that came out on top, but those ladies are also superb athletes."