Jamaica’s world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was named Panam Sports Best Female Athlete of 2019.
The best athletes from across the Americas arrived in Fort Lauderdale dressed to impress, as more than 70 athletes from the 41 nations of the Panam Sports family walked the red carpet at an evening rivalling those seen in Hollywood.
In the end and after a month-long public competition that sparked fierce rivalries between some of the greatest athletes of the Americas, Fraser-Pryce took the top female spot while Brazilian artistic gymnastics walked away with the male crown.
Grenada Olympic Committee was also recognized.
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE
SHELLY-ANN FRASER-PRYCE – JAMAICA – ATHLETICS
Lima 2019: Gold: 200m & New Pan American Record (22.43 sec)
Consistently one of the fastest women in the world for over a decade, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is the model of excellence and perseverance in Athletics. The Jamaican superstar and two-time Olympic Champion competed at her first Pan American Games at Lima 2019, showing off her world-class speed by setting a new Pan American Record of 22.43 seconds in the 200m. The blazing-fast time broke the record that had survived for 40 years. In recognition of her incredible achievements, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is honoured as the Best Female Athlete at the Panam Sports Awards.
BEST NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (POPULATION UNDER 1M)
GRENADA OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
Gold: 1; Silver: 1; Bronze: 0
After 30 years and nine editions of the Pan American Games, the national anthem of Grenada finally rang proudly at the Pan Am Games for the first time in history at Lima 2019. The small island nation won its first-ever gold medal at the most important sporting event of the Americas in the Peruvian capital, as Anderson Peters absolutely dominated the Men’s Javelin competition.
As the eight smallest country of the Panam Sports family by population with just over 100,000 people, placing 21st on the overall Medal Table is an unforgettable accomplishment that will forever be written in the history of the sport of the nation.
For their unprecedented success as one of the smallest nations by the population at the Pan Am Games, the Grenada Olympic Committee was recognized as the Best NOC (Pop. <1M) at the first Panam Sports Awards.