Drouin comes up short in Athlete of the Year voting

Corunna’s Derek Drouin was not named the Air Canada Athlete of the Year, which was decided in a national on-line poll. Instead, kayaker Mark de Jonge took the honour.

Corunna’s Derek Drouin was not named the Air Canada Athlete of the Year, which was decided in a national on-line poll.

Instead, kayaker Mark de Jonge took the honour. He successfully defended his world championship in the K-1 200 metre event earlier this year and captured gold in the same event at the Pan Am Games in Toronto.

High jumper Drouin and pole vaulter Shawn Barber were the other finalists.

Both won gold medals in their respective disciplines at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing in August. Drouin also won gold in high jump at the Pan Am Games a month earlier in Toronto.

Previous winners of the award include skier Alexandre Bilodeau, speed skater Charles Hamelin and Canadian women’s soccer sensation Christine Sinclair.