Staff writer - Nyasha Watson
The year 2011 is drawing to a close and it is now time to reflect on the performance/s that had the greatest impact on us. And in so doing select one athlete among the different sporting events and crown him the supreme athlete of 2011. Let’s see the cases of the top contenders.
Christopher Gayle has been discarded by the
Chris Gayle
West Indies cricket team. Nonetheless he pops up in every major twenty/20 league competition to top the batting average and strike rate. Thus should Chris be named athlete of the year. Um… no this argument is a little weak, I will give him best West Indian batsman of the year even though he is not on the team.
Now we go on to the one they call lightning. He is still being tested by
Fastest man alive - Usain Bolt
scientists to see if he is indeed human! Hold on though, I guess the research can be suspended now because he did false start in the 100m at Daegu World Championship which proves he is in fact human. Thus, Usain Bolt has already won IAAF athlete of the year well deservedly, but athlete of the year is reserved for someone else.
Lionel Messi
If not Usain then it has to be Lionel Messi!! He is the crowned prince of the Barcelona football team, who has scored more than 50 goals for Barcelona in the year 2011. Some sporting analysts are putting arguments forward as to reasons he should be considered one of if not the greatest footballer ever. So he is the athlete of the year, right? As much as I love Messi, no he is not. Then who is the athlete of the year?
Novak Djokovic
It is none other than Novak Djokovic!!! (In my opinion). In the year 2011 he rose from the shadow of not one but two superstars; Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, to conquer the tennis world. For me that is merit enough for him to be named athlete of the year. This is one of the interesting factors of sports when an average player improves his ability and defeats the champion; and in this case two champions.
Djokovic was supreme this year, who will it be next year! Let us watch and see.
