Shot putter Helda Marie and laser sailor Allan Julie capped a successful 2001 season with the Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year titles last night during the crowning ceremony at the SMB Exhibition Hall, Roche Caïman.

Marie, one of Seychelles prized assets in athletics, has now made a clean sweep of all the titles after being voted the best young female athlete of the year only eight days ago.

Marie, who turned 18 last week, scored an emphatic victory in the shot putt event of the Fifth African Junior Championship with an impressive throw of 13.58m (a combined Seychelles cadet, junior and senior best) to beat more fancied and older opponents from other top African nations to become only the second Seychellois after decathlete Donny Magnan to win a gold medal at the biennial championship.

She is also the second youngest athlete after former sprinter Mirenda Francourt (at 17 years old) to win the Sportswoman of the Year title.

Laser sailor Julie, who featured among the top 20 in the O'Neil World Ranking earlier this year but is actually ranked 26th worldwide, becomes the third male athlete after boxers Jerry Legras and Rival Payet (formerly Cadeau) to win the Sportsman of the Year title two years in a row.

During his five-month training camp in Europe, he finished on the medals podium in the Pfingstbusch Regatta in Germany before taking 27th place out of 158 participants in his fifth participation in the World Laser Sailing Championship. He also won two races in the competitions he competed in on the old continent.

The achievements of both Marie and Julie are in line with their ambitions as they proved that countries with small populations can still punch above their demographic weight in big international competitions

Congratulations to Marie and Julie! You are the best.