GB Taekwondo has announced the winners of the 2016 Athlete of the Year Awards for the cadet and junior levels ©GBTaekwondo

GB Taekwondo has announced the winners of the 2016 Athlete of the Year Awards for cadet and junior levels.

Cameron Booth and Simone Abley have claimed the junior awards while Holly Kelly and Owen Turner bagged the cadet titles.

Nottingham-based Booth won a gold medal at the Dutch Open last year, and has since gone on to medal at both the German and Polish Open events.

He was also selected to represent Britain at the World Taekwondo Federation Junior World Championships in Burnaby, where he lost his round of 32 match in the under-55 kilograms division to Spain's Jose Carlos Garcia Bernal.

"I am really happy to win this award, I have worked really hard this year and feel that I have done my best in all of this year’s competitions," said Booth.

"I would like to thank all of the GB pathway coaches, my club coaches and fellow team-mates who have supported and helped me achieve this award, their support has been fantastic and unwavering."

Following on from her victory at the President's Cup in July, Abley had been in phenomenal form in 2016.

Not only did she secure a gold medal at the Luxembourg Open but also a silver at the Riga Open, and bronzes at both the German and Serbian Opens. 

In Burnaby, Abley was eliminated at the round of 32 stage in the under-59kg event to China's Xiaoyu Tong.

Cameron Booth (left), Simone Abley (inside left), Owen Turner (inside right) and Holly Kelly (right) all won awards ©GBTaekwondo
Cameron Booth (left), Simone Abley (inside left), Owen Turner (inside right) and Holly Kelly (right) all won awards ©GBTaekwondo

"I am honoured to receive the female junior athlete of the year award," said Abley.

“It was a great honour to represent my country at the Junior World Championships and I would like to thank all the development squad members who have supported me throughout the year, as well as my club coach who has helped and supported me throughout my journey."

In the cadet division, talented teenager Kelly is the reigning British national champion and also won at the Dutch and Riga Opens before making the step up to the junior division this year.

"It has been a privilege to be on the cadet squad, thank you to my coach Nick [Brinklow] and to all of the pathway coaches and staff that have helped me this year," said Kelly.

"I’m looking forward to moving into juniors and hope to continue to develop and progress as an athlete."

Turner became Cadet European champion and also secured a gold medal at the Dutch Open.

"It has finished off a fantastic year, I am made up for winning and all the hard work has paid off," she said.

"Thanks to everybody at GB Taekwondo and to my club coach, Kathy [Hook] for all the help and I hope to take the success of 2016 into 2017."