O’Dayne Richards ‘happy’ about RJR award
KINGSTON, Jamaica — World Championship bronze medallist O’Dayne Richards says, ahead of the 2016 Olympics, his performances are improving significantly.
Richards made the declaration after being named runner-up to the Sportsman of the Year the second consecutive time at the RJR Sports Foundation Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Gala Awards at
Jamaica on Pegasus last Friday.
The 27-year-old, who finished as runner-up to boxer Nicholas ‘Axeman’Walters in 2014, was again second-best — this time to triple World and Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt.
The other nominees for the award included another thrower, Fedrick Dacres, sprint hurdler Hansle Parchment and 200m star Rasheed Dwyer.
Richards, whose propensity for throwing or flinging things has propelled him to become one of the best shot-putters in the world, won Jamaica’s first shot put medal at a World Championships and equalled
his own national record of 21.69m.
The powerful thrower might not have won the top award, but based on his progression in the event in putting Jamaica on the map, he is a winner in his own right.
“It has been a rough year; a bit of a disappointment, a bit of excitement and celebration. I did not get the personal best that I wanted, but I got a medal,” Richards told OBSERVER ONLINE. “So I have to give God thanks and learn to go through the rough times and giving God the glory all the time.
“I am happy for the award; because it is always good to come up and compete with the best in the sporting world like Usain Bolt and the rest of the guys, and hopefully I can do it better next year,” the 5-foot-10-inch athlete added.
Richards created history by becoming Jamaica’s first gold medallist in the shot put at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, and followed up with an equally impressive showing when he copped bronze at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, last year.
Sherdon Cowan