KINGSTON, Jamaica – Kirani James of Grenada and Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica have been voted the top Sportsman and Sportswoman in the Caribbean across sporting disciplines by the 
Caribbean Sports Journalists’ Association (CASJA).

James, who won the Commonwealth Games 400 metres gold in Glasgow, Scotland this summer received three of six final votes from the six-member selection panel consisting of Olympians Tonique Williams (BAH) and Ato Boldon (TTO), Former World Cup footballer Shaka Hislop (TTO) and Journalists Terry Finisterre (SLU), Vernon Springer (SKN) and Kayon Raynor (JAM).
 
The man, who ended the year with the fastest time of 43.74 seconds edged out Jamaican World Boxing Association (WBA) Super World featherweight boxer champion Nicholas “the Axeman” Walters (2 votes) 
and six time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt of Jamaica for the top award. 

The winners were selected from a shortlist of nominees submitted via responses from members of CASJA.
Spencer, who captured gold in the 400m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games, in addition to winning a fifth IAAF 400m Hurdles Diamond League Trophy polled five of the six votes by the panel. Yarisley Silva of Cuba, the Pole Vault gold medallist from the World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland ended second in the female vote (1).

Sprint hurdler Wilhem Belocian of Guadeloupe and Barbadian Akela Jones were named the two Rising Stars.
Belocian, who captured the 2014 World Junior Championships gold in a world junior record of 12.99 seconds, beat Jamaica’s Jaheel Hyde to the accolade. Hyde had won the world junior 400m hurdle gold and the Youth Olympic Games 110m title.

Jones, who secured gold in the Long Jump at the World Junior champions in addition to receiving the Austin Sealy Award after copping three individual gold medals at the CARIFTA Championships, beat Jamaican Commonwealth Games 400m champion Stephenie-Ann McPherson to the female Rising Star award.

Jamaica’s team of Nickel Ashmeade, Warren Weir, Jermaine Brown, Yohan Blake, which set a new world record of 1 minute 18.63 seconds in the 4x200m relay in Nassau, Bahamas was voted the top male Team of 
the Year.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Princesses, who are one win away from qualifying for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada was named the female Team of the Year. The Soca Princesses will meet 
Ecuador in the return Trinidad.
 

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