Usain Bolt - File

Four Jamaicans athletes, headed by The Gleaner's Man-of-the-Year, Usain Bolt, the triple Olympic Games gold medallist and back-to-back Olympics 200m champion Veronica Campbell, lead Prensa Latina's survey for the best Latin American and Caribbean Athletes in 2008.

According to the report on Prensa Latina's website, the Cuban newspaper Granma voted for the two runners last Wednesday, so they have already received nine and six votes, respectively, in the categories of best male and female athletes.

Bolt, who ran a world record 9.69 seconds to win the 100m, easing down 15 metres from the line, and his 19.30 seconds in the 200m, an improvement of two hundredths of a second over American Michael Johnson's 12-year-old world mark, is an early favourite for the award.

Campbell-Brown's 21.74 to defend her 200m crown and her success on the circuit in the 100m, places her ahead of fellow Jamaicans Melaine Walker, who clocked an Olympic record 52.64 in winning gold and was unbeaten in her last 15 races, and Shelly-Ann Fraser, who surprised the world to win the Olympic 100m title in 10.78, the second-fastest time by a Jamaican.

Granma also voted for Cubans Dayron Robles, the Olympics 110-meter hurdles champion and world record holder, along with Mijain Lopez of Greco-Roman wrestling and Leinier Dominguez, a chess player.

Brazilian swimmer Cesar Cielo Filho and Panamanian long jumper Irving Saladino are also a part of the survey.

Prensa Latina's annual survey will close on December 17, and results will be announced the following day.