KINGSTON, Jamaica – It was another successful year for Jamaican sports, with local talents once again representing the island well on the world stage.

In team sports, the Reggae Girlz booked their ticket for a second consecutive World Cup; the Reggae Warriors became the first team from the Caribbean to play at a the Rugby League World Cup; the Jam Lax Boys booked back-to-back Lacrosse World Cup qualifications; Jamaica Scorpions won the regional super 50; the Jamaica Tallawahs copped a third Caribbean Premier League crown; and the Sunshine Girls won a historic silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

But there are those who stood tall among the rest as individuals. Here is OBSERVER ONLINE’s top 15 sports personalities of the year.

Shelly- Ann Fraser-Pryce

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is regarded as one of the greatest female sprinters of all time. Her record breaking season saw her claim a fifth World Championship title in the 100m in Eugene, Oregon and a fifth Diamond League trophy in the event. She ran a world-leading 10.62 seconds and a historic seven sub-10.70 races in the event this season, the most by any woman in the history of the sport. In addition to that, she won silver in the 200m and 4x100m relay. Subsequently, she was named among the top five finalists for the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year Awards and was a recipient of the Order of Jamaica, the nation’s fifth highest order. In her honour, the Penwood Church of Christ Early Childhood Institution in Waterhouse, St Andrew has been renamed the Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Early Childhood Institution.

Shericka Jackson

Shericka Jackson emerged as the fastest woman alive and the second fastest of all time over the 200m after storming to a lifetime best, national and championship record of 21.45 seconds at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. To add to her list of accomplishments, she secured silver in the 100m and the 4x100m, won her first Diamond League trophy in the 200m and became the 2022 NACAC 100m champion. For her years of service and dedication to athletics, she was a recipient of the Order of Distinction, Officer Rank, honoured by the University of the West Indies, Mona at the 11th Annual CB Group UWI 5K and Smart Eggs Kids K in November and was shortlisted for the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year Award.

Khadija ‘ Bunny’ Shaw

After her move from Lyon to Manchester City, Bunny Shaw has hit the ground running in England. The Reggae Girlz captain has been an integral piece for the girls in light blue with even her coach, Gareth Taylor, hailing her as the focal point of the team. Shaw was also named in Guardian’s top 100 women’s footballers, ranking 62nd. The 25-year-old is currently the top scorer in the English Women’s Super League with 7 goals and also led the Reggae Girlz to a second consecutive Fifa Women’s World Cup set to be held in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.

Britany Anderson

Britany Anderson’s 2022 athletics season is nothing short of impressive, having ran a lifetime best of 7.82 seconds in the indoors 60m hurdles at the American Track League Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky in February. But she did not stop there, as the former Vere Technical and Camperdown High standout claimed her first national senior title in the 100m hurdles against the likes of Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper and 2015 Beijing world champion Danielle Williams in June. Her outstanding performances throughout the season proved that she had what it took to possibly go all the way and she almost did in Eugene, grabbing World Championships silver despite being lined up among a stacked field in the final of the event.

Leon Bailey

The poster boy for Jamaican football continues to fly the flag high in England with his eye-catching performances. Bailey has struggled with injuries and the manager conundrum at Aston Villa has not helped, with there being three different managers at the club since Bailey’s move last year. Nevertheless the Jamaican has shown flashes of brilliance for Aston Villa this season and it has reportedly caught the attention of Premier League giants, Chelsea, who are reportedly keen on making a move for the winger.

Tina Clayton

Former Edwin Allen standout, Tina Clayton, clocked a personal best and championship record of 10.95 seconds to defend her 100m title at the 2022 World U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia. Clayton was also a part of the record breaking 4x100m quartet alongside sister Tia Clayton, Serena Cole and Kerrica Hill at the championships. In addition, she was crowned the 2022 CARIFTA Games champion in the event in a time of 11.22 seconds at the National Stadium in Kingston. She was later named Athletics Weekly’s Junior Athlete of the Year. Since then, Clayton and her sister, Tia, have signed professional contracts and are under the guidance of world renowned coach, Stephen Francis, at the MVP Track and Field Club at the University of Technology in St Andrew.

Shamar Nicholson

Former Boyz Town standout Shamar Nicholson secured a move from Belgian Pro League side Sporting Charleroi to Spartak Moscow in January and has sinced impressed at the Russian outfit. Nicholson has enjoyed a somewhat meteoric rise in European football and 2022 was the year he announced himself with a string of outstanding displays. The 25-year-old has eight goals and two assists in 25 appearances this season.

Andre Blake

Reggae Boyz captain Andre Blake continues to make Major League soccer (MLS) his play ground as he walked away with numerous awards. The Philadelphia Union Number 1 walked away with his third MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award and was also presented with the John Wanamaker Athletic Award- an award given to the most impressive athlete throughout the year in the state of Philadelphia. The 31-year-old continues to display top- tier performances as Blake led the MLS goalkeeeper charts in shutouts with 15 clean sheets and has been a mainstay in the Philadelphia Union side, starting all of their 34 matches.

Rovman Powell

Powell demonstrated his quality with a string of memorable performances for both country and clubs. The hard-hitting batsman captained a Jamaica Tallawahs team to their third CPL title, leading from the front with his batting displays. The 29-year-old also shone for the West Indies as his 107 off 53 balls against England kept tongues wagging.

Kerrica Hill

Kerrica Hill showed the world that the future of Jamaica’s sprint hurdles is in good hands. Formerly of Hydel High School, Hill dominated the event at the ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships. But the highlight of the 2022 track and field season came at the World U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia where she did not only win gold in the women’s 100m hurdles, but she stormed to a World U-18 record, Championship record and a personal best of 12.77 seconds. She is also a gold medal winner and World U-20 record holder in the 4x100m relay. Subsequently, she was nominated for the World Athletics Female Rising Star Award. Hill has now gone pro and is training at the Elite Performance Track Club alongside Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Julian Forte, Rushell Clayton among others.

Dujuan ‘ Whisper’ Richards

Jamaica has a new wonderkid in the form of Dujaun Richards, affectionately known as ‘Whisper’. The Kingston College standout dazzled spectators with tantalizing performances during the recently-concluded ISSA schoolboy competitions. The left-footed teenager has been touted for big things, with many even suggesting that the teenager be introduced to the senior national football team, the expectations for this youngster is at an all-time high .The Phoenix academy player finished an impressive campaign with 30 goals with his standout performance coming against Clarendon College in the Champions Cup, when he netted all four goals against the boys from Clarendon.

Oblique Seville

At his first World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Oblique Seville advanced to the final of the 100m with the fastest time of 9.90 seconds and was the only Jamaican to qualify. Seville produced a brave performance in the finals and his second sub-10 clocking of the championships to stop the clock at 9.97 for a fourth-place finish. It was the culmination of a breakthrough season for the former Calabar High standout, who recorded his lifetime best of 9.86 seconds at the JAAA/SDF Jubilee Series in May, a time which has made him the sixth fastest Jamaican male in the event.

Brandon King

Brandon King has been a revelation this year. The 28-year-old has produced a slew of eyecatching performances for both the West Indies and the Tallawahs. King shone at the T20 format and without his stellar batting displays the Tallawahs wouldn’t have emerged victorious in the CPL. King’s standout performance came when he smashed 83 against the Barbados Royals to cop Jamaica Tallawah’s third CPL title.

Jaydon Hibbert

Former Kingston College sensation Jaydon Hibbert was in record breaking form in the world juniors, leaping to victory in the triple jump in a championship record, national U-18 record and a lifetime best of 17.27m. Hibbert also won gold in the event at the 2022 CARIFTA Games with a best jump of 16.56m. He has enjoyed numerous accomplishments and gold medal winning experiences at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships. He was later shortlisted for the World Athletics Male Rising Star Award.

Fraser McConnell

Jamaican rallycross driver, Fraser McConnell has been the flagbearer for the nation in the sport and has been making his country proud. McConnell had his first victory for this season in the fourth round of the 2022-23 Nitro Rallycross Championship series at the Glen Helen track in Los Angeles, California in November. He also had a podium finish at the Nitro Rallycross at ERX Motor Park in Minnesota. For his achievements throughout the years in the sport, McConnell has been named a brand ambassador for Tru-Shake.

Honorable mentions include: Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shanieka Ricketts, Shemara Sterling, Jhaniele Fowler, Brianna Lyston and Sara Misir.