INDIANAPOLIS (Indiana), Dec 1: World champion decathlete Tom Pappas and distance runner Deena Drossin Kastor were named winners of the Jesse Owens Award here Monday by USA Track and Field as the year’s top American athletes.

Athletics has struggled to prove legitimacy this year due to several doping scandals, notably the designer steroid THG and a modafinil doping scandal that hit Kelli White, tainting her two world championship sprint gold medals.

White also was a finalist for the women’s award along with Regina Jacobs, who has been named among those testing positive for THG.—AFP