Senior Multimedia Reporter
nigel.simon@guardian.co.tt
Cyclist Nicholas Paul and sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye added to their hauls of First Citizens Sportsman of the Year and Sportswoman of the Year Awards at the 61st annual function at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain yesterday.
Paul, who also copped the prestigious award in 2019 and 2019 winner as well, won the gold and silver medals in the men's Sprint and Keirin events, respectively, at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
At the Pan Am Track Championships, he achieved double-title victories in the Keirin and Sprint and led T&T to second place in the team sprint.
Last year, Ahye earned a bronze medal in the women’s 100-metre dash at the Pan Am Games to finish her 2023 season on a high, as she clocked 11.53 seconds to finish behind gold medal winner, Cuba’s Yunisleidy Garcia (11.36) and Jasmine Abrams of Guyana, who clocked 11.52.
This display came after Ahye got to the 100 metres semi-finals at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and on local soil the Carenage resident also thrived where she was based for 2023, winning the women's 100m title at the NAAA Championships at Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Swimmer Nikoli Blackman made it four straight wins in the Youth Sportsman of the Year title after another sensational year was highlighted by his 50-metre freestyle title win at the World Aquatics Junior Championships in Netanya, Israel.
Blackman, now attached to the University of Tennessee, also captured three gold medals – 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 200m freestyle – during the Commonwealth Youth Games which was held in T&T last year, and won the same events at the Carifta Swimming Championships; and a sojourn into the senior level at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games yielded a 200m freestyle silver medal and a 4x100m freestyle relay bronze.
Track and Field starlet Janae De Gannes captured the Youth Sportswoman of the Year top award after grabbing a silver medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games following a hard-fought battle with Australia’s Delta Amidzowski in the long jump final.
At the NACAC Under-18 – Under-23 Championships, De Gannes won the Under-18 long jump (6.11 metres – championship record) and 4x100 metres relay titles, while she claimed a pair of silver medals in the Under-20 long jump and 4x100 relay events at the Carifta Games in Nassau.
The Sports Awards function honoured the outstanding achievements of some 100-plus athletes who demonstrated unparalleled skill, dedication and sportsmanship across various disciplines in 2023.
Under the theme “More Than Conquerors”, this year’s nominees embodied the spirit of resilience, determination and triumph. Whether overcoming adversity, breaking barriers, or inspiring others through their actions, each nominee left an indelible mark representing T&T in the world of sports.
The function also saw the induction of awardees into the Sports Hall of Fame for 2024.