(Seychelles News Agency) - Swimmer Felicity Passon and sailor Rodney Govinden are the Seychelles Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year 2019.

The Sportsman and Sportswoman award ceremony in Seychelles is an annual event which recognises athletes who have excelled in their sports discipline in Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean.

SNA looks at the achievement of the two Seychellois athletes that helped them to win the top sports award.

Felicity Passon

Passon's top achievement was winning four medals -- two gold, a silver and a bronze -- at the 12th African Games in Rabat, Morocco in August

She won two gold medals in the 100m backstroke where she clocked 1 minute 2.42 seconds (1:02.42) and the other in the 200m backstroke in 2:14.55.

Her silver medal came in the 50m backstroke in a time of 29.17 seconds, while her bronze medal came in the 100m butterfly in 1:00.61.

Passon was locally dubbed the 'Golden Girl' for her outstanding performance at the 10th Indian Ocean Island Games. She won 11 medals -- seven gold, three silver (one individual and two in relays).

She won gold medals in the 100m backstroke, 50m butterfly, 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 100m butterfly, 200m medley and 200m backstroke. Passon also won silver in 100m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x200m freestyle relay together with a bronze medal in the 4 x 100-metre medley relay.

(Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY

Rodney Govinden

The top achievement for 2019, for Govinden was becoming the first Seychellois athlete to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan after clinching the Laser gold medal at the 2019 African Championship RSX and Laser.

His results were three first places, five second places and one third place which earned him a net score of 22 points, enough to book a spot for the Tokyo Olympics.

Govinden also brought home a silver medal from the 10th Indian Ocean Islands Games held in Mauritius.

He also took part in various Laser Europa Cup series, registering some very good results – fifth out of 59 sailors in the Laser Europa Cup, seventh out of 19 sailors in the Laser Europa Cup Netherlands and 125th out of 152 sailors in the European Championship in Porto.

(Seychelles Yachting Association/Facebook)  Photo License: All Rights Reserved