Reigning Commonwealth Games sprint champions Michelle-Lee Ahye and Jereem Richards were named Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year for 2018 by the T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) at its 25th annual Awards ceremony and black tie event held at Hyatt Regency Hotel, Wrighton Road, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
Dylan Carter, who won his first ever medal, a bronze at the recently concluded FINA World Short Course Swimming Championship was named the TTOC Sports Personality of the Year.
Carter, 22, secured his medal in the men’s 50m butterfly eight-man final Zhejiang, China, had earlier this year won a historic first ever Commonwealth Games swim medal for T&T in the same event in 23.67 seconds. His efforts also saw him set a new national record of 22.38 seconds, which better his previous best of 22.53, achieved the day before.
The People's choice award went to Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games triple gold medallist, cyclist Nicholas Paul, while the Alexander B Chapman award was presented to former sports broadcaster Dave Andrew Lamy.
Another cyclist Teniel Campbell was handed the Future Is Female honour, while teenagers Kael Yorke (swimmer) and Shaniqua Bascombe (track athlete) were named - Junior Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year.
Meanwhile, Ahye, the reigning national sprint champion, made history for T&T when she secured the country's first female gold medal in athletics at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, after placing first in the 100 metres women's final in 11.14 seconds.
Trailing 26-year-old Ahye for silver was Jamaica's Christiana Williams in 11.21 seconds, while bronze went to Gayon Evans who clocked a personal best of 11.22 seconds.
Richards grabbed the gold medal in the Men's 200m final at the same Games, becoming the first male 200 metres medallist for this country since 1970 behind a time of 20.12 seconds with Canada's Aaron Brown second in 20.34 and Ireland's Leon Reid third in 20.55 seconds.
Former national field athlete Candice Scott delivered the feature address in which spoke about her athletic career and representing T&T in the shot put event. Also in attendance were the President of the Republic of T&T Her Excellency Paula-Mae Weekes, the Minister of Sports - Shamfa Cudjoe and President of the T&TOC Brian Lewis, who gave the opening speech.