Trinidad and Tobago’s National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) has described it as "heartbreaking" that a group of national junior athletes were denied the opportunity to showcase their talents at the North American, Central American, and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under-13 and Under-15 Age Group Championships in Nicaragua due to an administrative blunder.
T&T’s Olympic 4X400m metre relay team of Machel Cedenio, Jereem Richards, Dwight St. Hillaire and the late Deon Lendore, who won the Lytsra Lewis Award, were also recognized at the ceremony hosted by 2013 400m hurdles World Champion Jehue Gordon and aired on CNC3 Television in the twin-island republic.
Swimmer Nikoli Blackman was crowned the Youth Sportsman of the Year 2021 for the consecutive year while tennis player Jordane Dookie was selected as the Youth Sportswoman of the Year 2021 title. Meanwhile, the Jeffrey Stollmeyer Award went to The Tennis Association of Trinidad & Tobago for outstanding administrative work.
Overall, 46 of T&T’s top athletes were honoured during the ceremony for their outstanding achievements over the past year. The country’s Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe praised the awardees for what he described as their “unrelenting spirit, sense of pride and purpose, and the larger than life persona they exude every time they set out to represent the red, white and black.
“You are our true heroes, who serve as a symbol of hope, perseverance, courage and strength, not only to our youth but to our nation,” she said.
Chairman of the First Citizens Sports Foundation, Dr Terry Ali, echoed similar sentiments while adding that the Sports Foundation would continue with its collaborative work with key stakeholders to support the successful restart of sporting events in Trinidad and Tobago.
Karen Darbasie, Group Chief Executive Officer at First Citizens, expressed gratitude at being able to honour the country’s best athletes. “The First Citizens Sports Awards is yet another proud moment, not only for those being honoured but also for us, who have been privileged to uphold that responsibility of bestowing honour,” she said.
Among the youth finalists who received awards were Alan-Safar Ramoutar – Chess; Ryan D’Abreau – Cycling; Shakeem Mc Kay – Track & Field; Zara La Fleur – Chess; Janae De Gannes – Track & Field; and Natassia Baptiste – Volleyball.
Among the senior finalists were Nigel Paul – Boxing; Dylan Carter – Swimming; Andrew Lewis – Sailing; Teniel Campbell – Cycling; Kennya Cordner – Football; Felice Aisha Chow – Rowing, and Samantha Wallace – Netball.
In the event, which was broadcast over video-conferencing platform Zoom, Paul and Ahye were named TTOC’s senior Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year respectively for 2021.
TTOC President Brian Lewis addressed the virtual audience before the distribution of awards.
“In 2021, our athletes showed that they faced their fears. They went to Tokyo and gave their best. They did not make excuses and of course, they showed emotional, physical, and mental stamina by facing their disappointments, their failures, their mistakes, and the criticism of those who weren’t in the arena; who didn’t have to overcome economic issues, lack of training issues, doubt issues, death in their families and close circles,” said Lewis.
“As we look forward to 2022, we are encouraged by the example and the discipline and resolve shown by team TTO at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the Junior Pan Am Games,” he added.
It was Ahye’s fourth time holding the title after winning from 2016-2018 while Paul received the award for the second time, his first coming back in 2019.
Paul, the current world-record holder in the Men’s flying 200m, earned the top male award based on his silver medal performance in the Men’s one-kilometre time-trial at the UCI Tissot World Track Cycling Championship in Roubaix, France, back in October.
He was also sixth in the Men’s Sprint at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Ahye was deemed the top female based on her ninth-place finish in the Women’s 100m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she narrowly missed out on the final.
Swimmer Nikoli Blackman, a member of T&T’s teams at both the Pan Am Junior Games and Swimming World Championships (SC) this year, was named Junior Sportsman of the Year for the second consecutive year, and track and field athlete Rae-Anne Serville, now representing USC, was Junior Sportswoman of the Year.
Olympic long jump finalist and 2021 NCAA Heptathlon Champion at Texas A&M, Tyra Gittens, was named the Sports Personality of the Year and reacted to it on her Instagram page on Wednesday.
“Blessed to receive the Sports Personality award during the TTOC 27th Annual Award Ceremony this evening. I can’t wait to represent TTO again next year,” she said.
West Indies senior women’s vice-captain Anissa Mohammed won the Future is Female award.
With eyes set firmly on regional dominance, Trinidad and Tobago has named a formidable team for the 2025 Carifta Games, packed with explosive sprinters, soaring jumpers, gritty distance runners, and fearless field athletes.
The 22-year-old St Fort has spent most of her career so far being conditioned by former T&T top sprinter Ato Boldon, who also operates out of Florida. St Fort trained alongside young Jamaican rising star Briana Williams.
The young sprinter had a stellar start to her competitive career after claiming a silver medal at the 2015 World Youth Championships in Athletics, behind America's Candace Hill. She went on to claim 100m gold at the 2015 Pan American Junior Athletics Championship. St Fort was chosen for the 2015 World Championships in Athletics as a relay alternate for the 4×100 metres relay, where the team broke the Trinidad and Tobago national record.
Things, however, tailed off a bit for the young runner and her and Boldon parted ways last year. Baptiste, however, believes the young sprinter is slowly getting back to her best.
"Khalifa is somebody that I have admired in terms of her work ethic, her dedication to always want to be well. In some ways, Khalifa reminds me of myself and I just think that she, with the right environment and the right training, she can be a world-beater,” Baptiste said in a recent interview with T&T radio station i95.5fm.
“I'm excited for her and I'm looking to see what next year holds. She's been doing very well and you know it's a bunch of 'Trinis' here which just makes things easier for her.”
In one of the best performances of his career, Richards ate up the track, and his opponents, to finish near five metres clear in a new personal best of 19.80.
Heading into the final, the talk surrounded a rematch between Richards and British sprinter Zharnel Hughes who finished ahead of the Trinidadian at the last edition of the Games but was disqualified for impeding him, after the athletes’ arms came together.
This time around, there could be no such complaints as the Richards blasted through the first half of the race, came off the curve first, and powered away from the field. Hughes was second in a season-best 20.12, with Ghana’s Joseph Paul Amoah finishing third in 20.49.
With the victory, Richards became the third athlete to successfully defend the 200m title at the event, behind Jamaican Donald Quarrie and Namibia's Frankie Fredricks.
On Sunday, he delivered.
Richards, the 2022 World Indoor 400m champion, sped to a fast 19.83 to win the half-lap sprint on the final day of the championships hence securing his spot to Oregon in July. It was a new lifetime best and the fastest time ever run over the distance on Trinidadian soil.
The time was run in virtually still but rainy conditions as the trailing wind was measured at 0.3m/s. None of that mattered to Richards, who has been in good form this season. “I was not concerned about the weather. I was just ready to run fast,” said the 28-year-old Richards who is also intent on defending his Commonwealth Games title after the World Championships conclude on July 24.
Kyle Greaux ran 20.56s for second place while 400m champion Dwight St Hillaire ran 20.68 for third.
This groundbreaking agreement not only provides Trinidadians with access to the events on the track, but also, all access to the production and broadcast of the Paris 2024 Olympics including the highlight shows, prime-time shows, features and on the ground coverage from Paris and “represents a real pivotal moment underlying our shared commitment to provide the citizens of Trinidad & Tobago unparalleled access to the pinnacle of sporting events, that is, the Olympics.” Adrian Wynter, CEO Trinidad & Tobago Television (TTT).
IMC through its partnership with the International Olympics Committee (IOC), is the exclusive broadcast rights partner for the Summer Olympics, Paris 2024 for the Caribbean region.
Media giant, SportsMax, in its charge to highlight Caribbean talents and provide Caribbean people with the platforms to watch and celebrate the highs and lows of sports, has entered this partnership to showcase Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic legacy. “Trinidad and Tobago has a long history of strong Olympic performances. We have seen the performances coming out of the CARIFTA GAMES 2024. The history and the legacy, we’re expecting great things this Olympics and we’re looking forward to this partnership to ensure that everybody will be able to view the Olympics nonstop across the twin island republic.” Nicolas Matthews, CEO, SportsMax Ltd.
The Paris 2024 Olympics will run on SportsMax and TTT from July 26 to August 11, 2024. The delivery promises to be unlike any other as the alliance promises a transformational and customized broadcast to countries in the Caribbean so viewers can celebrate the sporting moments, we all love, in the highest quality, courtesy of the undisputed Home of Champions, SportsMax.
Trend Media Group is the official selling agent, providing a wide range of advertising opportunities, seamlessly blending digital and traditional strategies for maximum brand impact for all advertising partners.
Despite the absence of 200m champion Jereem Richards Trinidad and Tobago’s team of Jerod Elcock, Eric Harrison Jr, Kion Benjamin Hislop and Kyle Greaux raced to a season-best 38.70 to claim second place behind England that ran a season-best 38.35 for the gold medal.
Nigeria ran 38.81 for the bronze.
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s women owe a debt of gratitude to sprint-double champion Elaine Thompson-Herah for their bronze medal as Kemba Nelson, Remona Burchell and Natalliah Whyte were unable to put Jamaica in contention for a medal over the first three legs.
However, at the final exchange with Jamaica in fifth, the fastest woman alive, stormed down the home stretch to snatch the bronze medal from Australia.
Jamaica clocked a relatively pedestrian 43.08, well behind England who ran a season-best 42.41 for the silver and winners Nigeria, who stormed to a new area record of 42.10.
Australia clocked 43.16 for fourth.
Though the likes of athletics stalwarts Keshorn Walcott, Jereem “The Dream” Richards, Michelle-Lee Ahye, and cyclist Nicholas Paul are experienced campaigners at the highest level, and know how to handle the heat of world class competition, it’s the heat off the track in the French capital is expected to pose a challenge.
However, TTOC president Diane Henderson, is not too concerned.
“In any country, we have always dealt with... when it was extremely cold in Lima, Peru, we had to go out and buy heaters, headwear and gloves, so it’s no different,” Henderson said during the team’s Puma Gear Reveal at TTOC’s headquarters, on Friday.
With the Games organisers taking an eco-friendly approach, the Olympic Village will not have air condition units. As such, some countries, including United States, will supply their own AC units in order to ensure the comfort of athletes as they strive for optimal performance.
Henderson pointed out that TTOC stands ready to provide the necessary assistance to meet the needs of the athletes.
“If the conditions are such, we would have to get fans or something in Paris to deal with that. We’re aware of it so we could always deal with that when we go. It has never been an issue when we have to go out and get stuff. Usually you have the assistants who would guide you effectively and say where we could get the necessary equipment,” she explained.
Sprinters Ahye and Elijah Joseph were among the athletes that modelled the new Team TTO uniforms on Friday, as they gear up for battle on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
“We have always wanted to do something to showcase the uniforms. It brings a lot of pride to the athletes and they feel really special. I think it went well. We’re always grateful to Puma for this sponsorship and partnership. It’s very important to have that support continuously for all our multi-sport Games,” Henderson noted.
Trinidad and Tobago Olympic squad:
Athletics –Michelle-Lee Ahye - 100m & 4x100 relay; Leah Bertrand- 100m & 4x100 relay; Sole Frederick- 4x100 relay; Akilah Lewis- 4x100 relay; Sanaa Frederick - 4x100 relay (Reserve); Portious Warren- Shot Put; Keshorn Walcott- Javelin; Jereem Richards- 200m, 400m & 4x400 relay; Devin Augustine- 100m; Jaden Marchan- 4x400 relay; Shakeem Mc Kay- 4x400 relay; Renny Quow- 4x400 relay; Elijah Joseph- 4x400 relay (Reserve)
Cycling –Nicholas Paul, Kwesi Browne
Swimming –Dylan Carter - 50m and 100m Freestyle; Zuri Ferguson- Backstroke 100m
Long jumper, Andwuelle Wright, and 400m hurdler, Sparkle-Ann McKnight, will not compete at the Games in Tokyo after their covid-19 tests returned positive results. A coach, Wendell Williams will also miss the games, after becoming the third positive result.
With less than 24-hours to compete, the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee revealed the breaking news via social media.
“Two Team TTO athletes and one official received positive test results following daily routine Saliva Antigen tests at the Olympic Village. This came following two Nasopharyngeal PCR verification tests in accordance with established TOKYO2020 COVID-19 protocols, countermeasures, and guidelines.
The three members have been placed into quarantine at an approved hotel facility for foreign athletes and officials.
Former Carifta gold medallist and Trinidad and Tobago’s national long jump record holder, Wright, also confirmed the news via social media. The aspiring athlete is disheartened by the circumstances but is happy that he is healthy and well.
“The Olympics has come [and] gone for me and my heart hurts more than anything else. I am devasted, confused and heartbroken. My coach and I both tested positive for COVID-19 virus days before I had to compete, after receiving six (6) negative test and I had to withdraw from the games,” he posted.
“More Importantly I’m okay although I don’t know what “okay” looks like right now but I’m happy to be alive and breathing.”
23-year-old Wright, who is from Tobago, said he was fully vaccinated and was not showing any symptoms during his time at the Olympic Games.
“[I was] experiencing zero symptoms of this virus also being fully vaccinated, meaning my Olympic dreams and everything we worked hard towards was shattered.”
McKnight, previously represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships in Athletics, reaching the semifinals on the second occasion.
Williams was a former Trinidad and Tobago national long jump record holder. He held the previous mark of 8.14m since 1999. However, Wright leaped to an impressive 8.23m to eclipse the feat his coach had achieved.
Under the programme, cyclist Nicholas Paul and sprinter Jereem Richards will be the primary beneficiaries as both men are responsible for the three gold medals the country won in Birmingham.
Paul won gold in the keirin, silver in the match sprint and bronze in the 1000m time trials and is set to receive TT$437,500 while Richards, who won the 200m title in a Games record 19.80 and anchored the country’s 4x400m relay to the gold medal is set to receive TT$375,000.
According to the Trinidad Guardian, athletes competing in relay team events will earn $125,000 each for a gold medal, $62,500 for silver and for bronze, $31,250. Individual gold medals get a whopping TT$250,000.
That means Dwight St Hillaire, Asa Guevara and Machel Cedenio will each get $125,000 and the members of the 4x100 metres team - Jerod Elcock, Eric Harrison Jnr, Kion Benjamin and Kyle Greaux - will each get $62,500 for their silver medal run.
Paul, who started his season with a series of unstoppable performances at the UCI Nation’s Cup in Milton Canada, as well as the ‘Speed Paradise’ and the Carnival of Speed events at the National Cycling Centre (NCC) in Balmain, Couva, all in April, followed that up with victory in the Men’s Elite Sprint at the International Cycling Union (UCI) Class One event in Germany recently.
The Trinidad and Tobago stalwart again placed his class on display at the PanAm Elite Track Cycling Championships in Argentina where he won the Sprints and Keirin, while clocking a new track record 9.349 seconds in the flying 200m.
Paul also joined forces with compatriots to place second in the Team Sprint and he rightly expressed delight at the accomplishments.
"Firstly, I would like to give God thanks because without him none of this would be possible. The Pan American Cycling champions in Argentina was a great experience, my races were well executed, and I am very happy with my performance," Paul told SportsMax.tv.
"It was also great to have my countrymen there with me and a great feeling to have won a team medal as well. Everyone on the team played their part, we performed accordingly and came out with a good result," he added.
While those performances represent a massive boost to his CAC Games charge and positions him to achieve other targets this year, the 24-year-old is by no means grandstanding against rivals in El Salvador.
"I am definitely pleased with another solid performance going into the CAC Games. It's all about trying to be consistent while working towards my ultimate goal which is Olympic Games qualification.
"But every event is different, and I am confident but not overconfident, so my plan presently is to just do my best for my country while taking things one competition at a time," he shared.
Though the mindset is always to improve on previous performances and that requires a holistic approach and a strategic vision of what he wants to achieve.
"Presently I don’t have any planned changes to my programme for CAC Games, however, I’m always focused on getting better at my craft every day, therefore changes can be made accordingly, but we will see how that goes as time goes by," Paul said.
The High Court granted permission a day after said lawyers notified the Court of Arbitration for Sport that they were withdrawing their appeal against FIFA’s decision to appoint a normalization committee to govern the affairs of the TTFA, citing concerns of institutional bias in favour of the world-governing body.
Since FIFA is not a situated in Trinidad and Tobago, the lawyers had to seek permission to serve documents on football’s world governing body by email or courier service pursuant to Part 7.2(b) of the Civil Proceedings Rules.
The lawyers have filed a claim before the High Court seeking a permanent injunction to prevent FIFA from interfering or seeking to override the “fair and transparent democratic processes of the TTFA and/or preventing them from removing the executive of duly elected officers from office.”
They are also seeking a permanent injunction against FIFA preventing FIFA and/or its agents from interfering with the day-to-day management of the association, including its bank accounts, website and real property.
They are also seeking damages and costs.
Acting on instructions, the lawyers from the firm New City Chambers notified CAS on Monday that they were withdrawing because of what they said was institutional bias in favour of FIFA leaving them to believe they would not be able to get a fair hearing.
Wallace described the ongoing dispute with FIFA as a battle against injustice in a video that was circulated on Monday.
In the video that is just over five minutes long, Wallace said since 2005, FIFA has appointed normalisation committees to run the affairs of 33 associations. The TTFA is the only one that was normalized and their officers were not culpable for the reasons given by FIFA.
He explained that when the previous administration went into office in 2015, the TTFA had accrued debts of TT$15 million. By the time they were defeated in the elections held in November 2019, the debt had ballooned to TT$50 million.
“But more than the debt, the main reason that there was a lack of financial structures in the organisation is passing strange in that FIFA, in every single year would do an audit of the TTFA and the audit did not reveal the lack of internal fiscal policy and systems in the organisation,” Wallace said.
“And, it is only when we pointed it out to them that they actually used that same thing to make a decision to remove us from office.”
The twin island republic, which currently sits 10th on the standings with 11 medals –four gold, three silver and four bronze –saw its men’s hockey better Barbados 8-2 in semi-final action on Wednesday to book their spot in the coveted gold medal encounter.
Teague Marcano led Trinidad and Tobago’s charge with a hat-trick, while Tariq Marcano and Anthony Vieira both had a brace and Joel Daniel had the other. James Gooden and Ayube Che Warner, got the consolation goals for Barbados.
By virtue of that defeat, Barbados will face Cuba for the bronze medal, with Jamaica and Dominican Republic set to do battle in the fifth-place playoff, while Guyana will lock horns with El Salvador in the seventh-place game.
Earlier, Barbados moved up to 13th on the medal table, after adding another bronze to its tally, courtesy of the women’s hockey team’s 4-2 penalty win over Dominican Republic, after they initially played out a 2-2 stalemate in regulation time.
Ayana Wilson and D’Jamilia Edwards were the scorers for Barbados, as Ana Williams and Cecilia Oflaherti got on the score sheet for Dominican Republic.
Barbados’s seven medals so far include one gold, one silver and five bronze, with Dominican Republic in seventh position, has 12 gold, 26 silver and 41 bronze in their 79-medal tally.
The women’s gold medal game between Cuba and Mexico was also decided on penalty with the Mexicans snaring the top medal with a 3-2 scoreline, after they played to a 1-1 stalemate in regulation time.
Mexico who are currently atop the medal table with 273 medals, 116 gold, 84 silver and 73 bronze, got their goal from Sofia Perez, while Cuba, who sit third with 138 medals -54 gold, 38 silver and 46 bronze –got their goal courtesy of Sunaylis Nikle.
Jamaica’s women also edged Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 on penalty in the fifth-place game, which initially ended 1-1. Kaitlyn Olton gave Trinidad and Tobago the lead before Shana-kay Tullonge placed the Jamaicans back on level terms.
Meanwhile, Puerto Rico bettered Bermuda 4-2 in the seventh-place game.
Colombia (182), Venezuela (116) and Puerto Rico (73) are positioned behind Mexico and Cuba as the top five nations on the medal standings. Bahamas (four), St Lucia (two) and Guyana (one) currently sit 15th, 16th and 17th respectively, while Jamaica with five silver and four bronze, occupy 19th position.
In badminton action also on Wednesday, Jamaica’s Samuel Ricketts booked a semi-final spot following a two-set 21-7, 21-10 win over Trinidad and Tobago’s Will Lee.
He will be joined in the last four by Mexico’s Luis Gerrido, who bettered El Salvador’s Uriel Canjura 2-1; Yeison Del Cid of Centro Caribe Sports, who defeated Cuba’s Roberto Herrera 2-0 and another Mexican Armando Gaitan who also registered a 2-0 straight set win over Colombia’s Miguel Quirama.
On the women’s side of action, Jamaica’s Tahlia Richardson beat Centro Caribe Sports Eneida Santizo 2-0 in straight sets, CCS’s Nikte Sotomayor, who bettered Dominican Republic’s Alissa Acosta.
Mexico’s Haramara Gaitan defeated Dom Republic’s Nairoby Jimenez 2-0, while Cuba’s Taymara Oropesa, also booked a spot in the semi-final with a 2-1 win over Mexico’s Sabrina Solis in a three-set contest.
Tahlia Richardson later joined forces with Katherine Wynter to secure Jamaica a spot in the Women’s Doubles semi-final, after they defeated El Salvador’s pair of Margareth Revelo and Gabriela Barrios 2-0 in straight sets.
With the 2025 Carifta Games just hours away, Trinidad and Tobago's team manager, Cuquie Melville, is brimming with confidence and has set a bold target for the host nation to finish in the top two, especially on home soil.
In an interview with the T&T Daily Express, the 1976 Olympic Games men’s 100 metres champion explained that there are six seats assigned to him at the Hasely Crawford Stadium for any event at the venue, as well as six parking passes. Additionally, two permanent parking spots have been set aside.
Unfortunately, those entitlements have led to numerous embarrassing incidents, the first of which was in 2001, when Trinidad and Tobago hosted the FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
“They wouldn’t give me a ticket for the final. There were instructions, ‘Don’t give Hasely Crawford any ticket’. But I got in,” Crawford shared.
T&T’s first-ever Olympic champion said he also had major issues in August this year at the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG).
“The opening of Commonwealth was bad. For two days I had problems getting in until Ephraim Serrette brought me an accreditation. On the day of the opening ceremony, a Minister was parked in one of my spots … did move eventually but stayed for a while.”
In another recent incident, Crawford was alarmed by the disrespectful response he got from a group of students at the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) opening when he spoke to them about standing in the aisles. He said he alerted a police officer and the SSFL president, and also went to the students’ school to report the incident.
Crawford explained too that he had been offered tickets to attend SSFL games during the 2023 season.
“One time, the SSFL president gave me a ticket. I told him ‘You’re not doing me no favours, I’m entitled to six tickets.’ Another time, he gave me two tickets. I didn’t take them. The promoters are the ones who are responsible for giving me the six tickets for their events," he argued.
“The TTFA (Trinidad and Tobago Football Association) would give me tickets for their games, but I would often get them on the day, and that would create problems for my guests. One day I had a guest coming. I spoke to the guard to tell him my guest was coming in a brown car. They put someone else in the parking spot and told me a TTFA man said to put him there," Crawford added.
Crawford’s family has also faced embarrassment at the stadium.
“One year they had Soca Monarch. My wife and Kent Bernard’s wife went. They told them ‘No, no, no, this is VVIP, for the Prime Minister and a guest’. But that is where I’m supposed to go. My wife can’t take embarrassment, so she took off," he recalled.
In order to avoid any further indignities, Crawford has opted to stay away from the Port of Spain facility, as he brought his concerns to the attention of the authorities, but to no avail.
“I decided I’m not going anything in the stadium," Crawford said, adding that there have been times when he felt he should ask for his name to be removed from the stadium, but knows this is not the way to go.
“I cannot do it because I cannot spit in the face of Trinidad and Tobago. They gave me that. Allyuh gave me that. But I hate going through this embarrassment,” Crawford told the Express.
The 29-year-old from Arima, whose 400m personal best was 44.36, was part of the Trinidad and Tobago team that won bronze in the Men’s 4x400m at the 2012 London Olympics and silver at the 2015 World Championships in the same event.
Individually, Lendore won bronze medals in the 400m at the World Indoor Championships, in Oregon, in 2016, where he was also part of T&T's bronze medal-winning 4x400m team and Birmingham in 2018.
A three-time Pan Am Junior Championships silver medallist, Lendore also had a wonderful junior career, which resulted in him excelling at Texas A&M University, winning the Bowerman award in 2014.
President of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee, Brian Lewis, reacted to the unfortunate news.
“Words cannot adequately express our sadness at the devastating and untimely loss. Deon has flown the Trinidad and Tobago flag with pride, honour, patriotism, and an indomitable will throughout his career while helping and inspiring many. We express our deepest and heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, teammates, coaches, and all who he would have touched. May Deon Rest and Sleep in Eternal Peace,” he said.
Lendore represented T&T at three Olympic Games in 2012, 2016 and 2021 and three World Championships in 2013, 2015 and 2019.
The Trinidadian quartet of Eric Harrison Jr, Judah Taylor, Kyle Greaux and Jerod Elcock combined to run 39.54, narrowly missing out on the bronze medal won by Argentina in 39.48.
Jamaica’s quartet of Michael Sharpe, Andrae Dacres, Odaine McPherson and Jevaughn Whyte ran 39.81 in sixth.
The gold medal was won by Brazil in 38.68 while Cuba ran 39.26 in second.
The 17-year-old smashed the girls’ Under-20 long jump record during the morning session of Monday’s final day, and later returned to anchor the twin island republic to a silver medal in the girls’ Under-20 4x400m relay.
Named in honour of Sir Austin Sealy, who started the Carifta Games in 1972, the award is given to the most outstanding athlete of the three-day spectacle.
While there were a number of breathtaking performances, De Gannes topped the pile when she measured 6.50 metres to win gold and establish a new record in the girls’ Under-20 long jump. The effort erased the old mark of 6.48 metres – ironically set in Grenada eight years ago – and positioned her third in the world in the Under-20 category.
She returned later in the evening to partner with Kaori Robley, Saana Frederick and Kaziah Peters to finish second in the girls’ Under-20 4X400m in 3:47.51. The event was won by Jamaica in 3:34.69, with Barbados (3:48.21) in third.
By virtue of winning the Austin Sealy Award, De Gannes joins a long list of outstanding athletes to have won the award, including Usain Bolt, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Yohan Blake, and Kirani James.
Jehue Gordon and Darrel Brown are among the Trinidad and Tobago athletes to have won the award previously.
Meanwhile, Jamaica topped the medal standings with 83 medals comprising 44 gold, 23 silver and 16 bronze, while the Bahamas ended with 34 – nine gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze. Trinidad and Tobago picked up four gold, 12 silver and 12 bronze to finish the championship with 28 medals overall.
Hosts Grenada were the only other team in double digits with 14 medals, logging one gold, six silver and seven bronze.