Triple World Championship gold medallist Usain Bolt and World Championship 100m hurdles champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton, who were crowned 2009 Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year on Thursday night, have apologised for their late arrival at the nationally-televised RJR Sports Foundation organised event.

“We had training and we got held in traffic and we apologised for that,” Foster-Hylton told the Observer. “It wasn’t anything intentional,” added the sprint hurdler, who secured her third lien on the national award, beating last year’s winner Melaine Walker and Shelly-Ann Fraser.

Bolt, who is usually punctual, had a similar explanation for his tardiness.

“I heard that rumour too,” Bolt said, referring to the alleged planned boycott of the event by athletes.

Organisers of the 49th RJR Sports Foundation ceremony were given a scare when some members of Jamaica’s victorious male and female sprint relay teams did not show on time to collect their special awards during the ceremony which started promptly at 7:30 pm at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.

The alarm was precipitated by reports earlier in the week that athletes were planning to boycott the function over the organisers’ choice of Jamaican-born American athlete Sanya Richards as guest speaker.

Those fears were later allayed after some frantic phones calls and the bulk of the athletes, including eventual winners Foster-Hylton and Bolt, arrived minutes before 8:00 pm.

“I was late from training… I just finished training I had to rush home and the traffic was heavy,” Bolt explained. “I didn’t even eat any dinner, so for me I don’t know exactly what happened. I see Asafa here, so I don’t think it’s a boycott,” added the 100m and 200m world record-holder.

Chairman of the RJR Sports Foundation, Chris Dehring, dismissed suggestions that the athletes had indeed planned to boycott of the glitzy function, which has been recognising the achievements of the nation’s athletes since 1962.

“Those were very unfounded rumours,” Dehring told the Observer after Thursday evening’s function.

“They were all here in the hotel and some of them just came in a little late,” he added.

In the meantime, Bolt who also won the People’s Choice Performance of the Year Award, expressed satisfaction after winning his second consecutive national Sportsman of the Year award.

“When it comes to getting a Jamaican award I always look forward to it because running hard every year and working hard for the country… this shows that people in the country actually appreciate what I’m doing for them, so it always feels good and I always feel honoured to get this award,” the 23-year-old sprinter said.

Foster-Hylton confessed that gaining her third hold on the trophy felt different, given the high standard of the performances from her main contenders Walker and Fraser, who also won individual gold medals in Berlin.

“I knew I stood a chance… It was going to be pretty tough to decide who, but boy I wouldn’t want to be the judges,” she joked.

Dehring, who presented veteran sports journalist Tony Becca with the chairman’s award, was pleased with this year’s staging of the event.

“It was always going to be incredibly difficult, particularly in the female category, so many gold medallists, so many outstanding performances, but you know we have a selection committee that felt that Brigitte just, I guess, pipped the others on the line and we’re happy for her and we’re happy for Usain,” Dehring explained.

Certificates of Merit 2009

Marva Bernard — For outstanding contribution and leadership to Jamaica’s Netball.

Douglas Burke — For outstanding work developing Tennis Jamaica’s junior programmes.

David Crawford –For contribution towards the development of cricket in Jamaica.

Lenworth Hyde –For outstanding contribution to football in Jamaica.

Barry Watson — For the development of sports in Jamaica.

Special Awards 2009

4×100 Relay (men) — U Bolt, A Powell, S Mullings, L Clarke, D Thomas, M Frater.

4×100 Relay (women) — S Fraser, K Stewart, A Bailey, S Facey.

4×400 Relay (women) — S Williams, R Whyte, N Williams, S lloyd, K Spencer.

Cricket — Visually Impaired Team, National Under-15 Team, National Under-19.

Netball — National Under-16 Team, National Under-21 Team, National Senior Team (Sunshine Girls).

Special Olympics — Floor Hockey Team, HiIlary Richards and Monique Brown (Roller Skating)

BOLT… RJR Sports Foundation Sportsman of the Year

FOSTER-HYLTON… RJR Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year

Category Awards 2009

Male Female

Athletics: Usain Bolt Brigitte Foster-Hylton

Badminton: Nigella Saunders Gareth Henry

Boxing: Nicholas Walters ————

Cricket: Christopher Gayle Stefanie Taylor

Cycling: Marloe Rodman ————

Football: Donovan Dixon Omolyn Davis

Golf: Jonathon Newnham Jodi Munn-Barrow

Netball: Romelda Aiken ————

Skying: Errol Kerr ————

Squash: Christopher Binnie ————

Surfing: Icah Wilmot Imani Wilmot

Swimming: Brad Hamilton Natasha Moodie

Tennis: Brandon Burke ————

Volleyball: Dr Ricardo Chung