Eight nominated for Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year

Usain Bolt, Omar McLeod, and Marlon Samuels have been named as the final three men shortlisted for the RJR National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year award.

Bolt became the first athlete in history to win three gold medals in three separate events at three Olympic Games the men's 100 metres and 200m sprints, as well as the 4x100m relay, the latest at the Rio Olympics last summer.

McLeod's nomination, the latest relates to him not only winning gold in the men's 110m hurdles event at the Summer Games, but also becoming the first Jamaican Indoor men's 60m hurdles champion at the World Indoor Championships held in Portland, Oregon, in February this year.

Samuels led the West Indies team to its second World Twenty20 title, beating England in the final in India last April. He was named Man of the Match with a top score of 85 not out.

Five women were nominated in the Sportswoman of the Year category. They are Alia Atkinson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, Stafanie Taylor, and Elaine Thompson.

Atkinson's nomination is for breaking the 50m breaststroke world record at the FINA/Airweave Swimming World Cup in Tokyo, Japan, last October.

Fraser-Pryce was selected for her bronze medal win in the women's 100m sprint and silver in the 4x100m relay in Rio.

Final nomination

Jackson is included for winning bronze in the women's 400m sprint and silver in the 4x400 relay at the Summer Games, while Stafanie Taylor was nominated for captaining the West Indies Women's team to victory in the ICC Women's World Cup in India in April.

Elaine Thompson's gold medals in the women's 100 and 200m sprints, as well as her silver in the 4x100m relay in Rio, sees her getting the fifth and final nomination.

This year's award ceremony will also include the Victoria Mutual Building Society Youth Award for the first time. Nominees in this category will be those considered "new talent", under 21 years old and not professional meaning they do not earn a living in their respective sporting disciplines.

Michael Fennell, chairman of the selection committee of the RJR Sports Foundation, says nominees for the youth award will be named later this month.

The ceremony will be held on January 13.