Two–time Carifta Games Boys’ Under-20 400m hurdles gold medallist Roshawn Clarke became the 14th Jamaican to be named the Austin Sealy Award winner after he was awarded on Monday at the end of the 50th staging of the prestigious regional junior track and field championships at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium in Nassau, The Bahamas.

The World Under-20 Championships bronze medallist’s selection came as a surprise to many as it was expected the selectors could have tabbed any of several other athletes who also had outstanding performances over the three days of competition that started on Saturday.

Clarke retained his title in dominant fashion and were it not for a slight stumble off the final hurdle, could have challenged the championship record of 49.72 seconds set by Trinidad and Tobago’s Jehue Gordon in 2010 in Guyana.

Clarke, however, ran a season’s best and World Under-20 leading 49.92 seconds, 11th best in the world so far and was also a part of the Under-20 men’s winning 4x400m relay team that closed the championships.

The former ISSA Championships gold medallist while representing Camperdown High joins an illustrious list of Jamaicans who have won the award.

Jon Jones was the first Jamaican to win the award in 1979, Andrea Thomas won it in 1985, Michell Freeman in 1988, Inez Turner in 1991, Claudine Williams in 1992 and Nikole Mitchell in 1993, Roy Bailey and Aileen Bailey shared it in 1997.

Jamaicans won the award every year between 2001 and 2005 with Usain Bolt winning it back to back in 2003 and 2004, Veronica Campbell Brown won it in 2001, Anneisha McLaughlin in 2002 and Theon O’Connor in 2005.

Yohan Blake won it in 2007 and Jamaicans had to wait until 2018 and 2019 when Briana Williams won it back to back.