The pair of swimmer Dylan Carter and cyclist Teniel Campbell as expected was named the First Citizens Sports Foundation’s Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year 2020 winners on Sunday night at a function aired on CNC3 and TV6 from the Killarney Stollmeyer’s Castle, Queen’s Park West, Port-of-Spain.
The awards for the Youth Sportsman and sportswoman of the year also came as no surprise when the names of alpine skier Abigail Vieira and swimmer Nikoli Blackman were announced.
The quartet, in their respective field of discipline, outdid themselves despite the challenge of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020 which halt sports around the world for several months before athletes were gradually resumed to activities on the globe.
Still, Carter, 25, who initially won the bronze medal in the 50m butterfly at the World Swimming Championships in Hangzhuo, China in 2018, secured a spot at the Olympic Games, the lone swimmer in T&T to have booked a place so far.
Only last year Carter, a graduate of Fatima College, warmed up impressively for his school Los Angeles Current (LAC) at the International Swimming League in Budapest, Hungary by leading his team to the gold medal in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, with his 100m split of (46.51s) on the final leg being the second fastest of the four.
And later in the 50m back, the national swimmer touched the wall in 23.89s to bag a silver medal with the team.
Afterwards, Carter thanked his parents and coaches who have supported him, particularly throughout a year that was interrupted by the coronavirus.
Campbell, 23, the only female cyclist in T&T to have qualified for the Olympic Games, continued to create history in 2020, becoming the first rider from the twin-island Republic to sign a professional contract with Australian team Mitchelton-Scott in Italy.
Overcome with emotions, Campbell, a native of Hardbargin in Williamsville, thanked all her supporters from family, coaches to those who write uplifting and encouraging comments on social media, saying she really enjoyed reading them, as they meant so much to her.
Campbell, the six-one tall sprinter, said she continues to work hard to make each and everyone proud. Both Carter and Campbell were recently named the T&T Olympic Committee Sportsman and Woman of the Year.
Meanwhile, Blackman was a cut above the rest in 2020, as he splashed to a new 50-metre Freestyle record at the 2020 UANA Swimming Championship in Lima, Peru, thereby bettering the C-Standard time of 24.65 seconds he went into the race with, while alpine skier Vieira became the first T&T athlete to compete at the Winter Youth Olympics.
She told the gathering afterwards that just being nominated among such amazing athletes is surreal.