World champions sprinters Maurice Greene and Inger Miller, both from the United States, won the 1999 Jesse Owens Memorial Awards on December 2 in Los Angeles.

The awards were named after the track super star Owens who dominated the 1936 Olympics. The USA Track & Field Association gave the awards to the year's outstanding male and female performers.

Green's sensational season included setting the world record of 9.79 seconds for the 100 meters and an unprecedented sweep of the 100 and the 200 meters at the world championships in Seville, Spain. He also anchored the US 400-relay team to victory at the championships.

Miller won the women's 200 with a world-leading time of 21.77, and got the silver medal in the 100 with a career-best 10.79 at the world championships.

Green and Miller each beat five other contenders for the top honor.

The other men's nominees were 400-meter runner Michael Johnson, race walker Curt Clausen, pole vaulter Jeff Hartwig and shot putter C.J. Hunter.

The other women's nominees were sprinter-hurdler Gail Devers, sprinter-long jumper Marion Jones, pole vaulter Stacy Dragila and mile distance runner Regina Jacobs. (Xinhua)