In a night of celebration and recognition, cyclist Nicholas Paul and sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye emerged as the senior sportsman and sportswoman of the year, respectively, at the prestigious 61st edition of the First Citizens Sports Foundation Sports Awards and Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. The event, held at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain on Saturday night, honored the outstanding achievements of Trinidad and Tobago's finest athletes.

Nicholas Paul, 25, was lauded for his remarkable performances throughout 2023, culminating in a historic silver medal at the 2023 International Cycling Union World Track Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. As the world record holder in the flying 200m, Paul showcased his prowess on the global stage, demonstrating unparalleled speed and skill.

Adding to his accolades, Paul showcased his versatility and dominance at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, where he successfully defended his sprint title and secured silver in the men's keirin event. His stellar achievements solidified his status as one of the nation's premier cyclists, earning him the coveted senior sportsman of the year award.

Meanwhile, Michelle-Lee Ahye's exceptional year was highlighted by her outstanding performance at the Pan American Games, where she clinched bronze in the women's 100-metre event with a time of 11.53 seconds. Ahye's podium finish marked a significant milestone in her illustrious career and reaffirmed her status as TT's most elite women's sprinter.

Ahye's stellar track record includes a silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, further cementing her reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the world of sprinting. Her consistent excellence in local and international competitions earned her the esteemed title of sportswoman of the year.

Both Ahye and Paul were also honored with the 2023 TT Olympic Committee senior awards in December, further underscoring their exceptional contributions to Trinidad and Tobago's sporting legacy.

In addition to the senior awards, swimmer Nikoli Blackman and track and field athlete Janae De Gannes were recognized as the youth sportsman and sportswoman of the year, respectively. Blackman's stellar performance at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games, where he secured three gold medals, showcased his immense talent and potential on the global stage.

Similarly, De Gannes' remarkable achievements, including a silver medal in the women’s long jump at the Commonwealth Youth Games and a record-breaking performance at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Games Under-18 meet, earned her well-deserved acclaim as a rising star in Trinidad and Tobago's sporting landscape.

As Trinidad and Tobago's sporting heroes continue to inspire and captivate audiences both at home and abroad, the First Citizens Sports Foundation Awards serve as a testament to their unwavering dedication, passion, and excellence in their respective fields.

Trinidad and Tobago’s young sensation Nikoli Blackman continues to show marked improvements as he copped the 50 metres freestyle title in breathtaking fashion at the World Junior Swimming championships Wingate Institute in Netanya, Israel on Thursday.

Blackman, who earlier clocked a brisk personal best 22.33 seconds in the semi-finals, later underlined his class as one of the world's top young freestylers, as he won the final in 22.35s. He bettered a quality field with Australia’s Flynn Southam (22.43s) and Lorenzo Ballarati (22.47s) of Italy, taking silver and bronze respectively.

The home country was denied its first medal of the championships, as homeboy, Mikhail Povaliaev was fourth in 22.66s, while Javier Nunez of the Dominican Republic, still just a high school junior, was sixth in 22.73s.

Blackman’s performance follows the three gold medals won at last month’s Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago and surpassed those from last year’s edition of the World Junior Championships.

At World Juniors last September, Blackman was a finalist in the 50m freestyle and a semi-finalist in the 100m freestyle. He finished sixth in prelims of the 50m with 22.97s, then went 22.83s in both the semis and the final.

The University of Tennessee swimmer, who missed out on a medal in the 200m freestyle when he finished fifth in the heat in 1:50.36, is scheduled to contest the 100m freestyle on Friday

Shaquane Gordon won Jamaica’s second gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games and in the process clocked one of four records that fell on day five action, as he proved too good for competitors in the men’s 110 metres hurdles at the Hasley Crawford Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago.

The outstanding Gordon raced to 13.16s, which lowered the previous mark of 13.32s set by Australia’s Andries Van der Merwe in 2011. Noah Hanson (13.20s) of England was second, with another Jamaican Daniel Wright (13.45s), third.

Wright had earlier topped the men’s 400m hurdles in 51.51s, ahead of Sri Lanka’s Liyanage (51.61s) and Oliver Parker (52.36s) of England

In the women’s 100m hurdles, Jamaica’s Bryanna Davidson (13.94s) missed the podium, placing fourth behind Australia’s Delta Amidzovski (13.25s), who won ahead of Thea Brown of England and South Africa’s Tumi Hope Ramokgopa, who both clocked in at 13.53s.

England’s Ayesha Jones launched the javelin to a new Commonwealth Youth Games record of 52.49m to win the event, as she bettered the 19-year-old mark of 51.99m set by Australia’s Annabel Thomson in 2004.

Jones won ahead of compatriot Harriet Wheeler (51.50m), while South Africa’s Lo-Ann Engelbrecht (50.12m) was third. Caribbean athletes Suerena Alexander (42.85m) of Grenada and St Lucia’s Naya Jules (38.60m) were fifth and sixth.

Another Commonwealth Youth Games record and, by extension, one-two finish, went to England, courtesy of Stephanie Okoro and Mia Walker in the women’s 400m hurdles final.

Okoro finished tops in a record 58.19s, erasing the old mark of 59.40s set by Jamaica’s Jhonelle Thomas in 2017.  Walker (1:00.52) ensured the England quinella, as she held of South Africa’s Hope Ramokgopa (1:00.63).

Trinidad and Tobago’s Keneisha Shelbourne (1:04.28), finished fifth.

Jaidi James added silver to Trinidad and Tobago’s tally when he cleared 2.00m in the men’s high jump final. Carey Glyde of England won the event after her soared to 2.06m, while Sri Lanka’s Thenuja Rathnaweera, who also cleared 2.00m, was third on the count back.

In Para athletics action, England’s Maddie Down, cut the sand at 4.70m to win the women’s T-38 long jump final. She bettered the Australia pair of Niamh Mac Alasdair (4.09m) and Reese Prior (3.73m).

Action at the National Aquatic Centre was highlighted by a Caribbean sweep in the men’s 50m freestyle where homeboy Nikoli Blackman continued his rich vein of form.

Blackman, who started the twin island republic's medal haul on the opening day, ended in the same vein, as he copped another gold in 22.36s, ahead of Marvin Johnson Jr (22.54s) of Bahamas and another local favourite Zarek Wilson (22.95s), who added another bronze to his tally.

The women’s event was won by England’s Skye Carter in a Junior Commonwealth Games Record of 25.15s, which bettered previous mark of 25.19s, set by Australia’s Ami Matsuo in 2011.  Theodora Taylor (25.54s) of Wales and Australia’s Inez Miller (25.59s), took silver and bronze.

In the men’s 200m butterfly final, Malaysia’s Li Hen Goh (2:03.63) outclassed rivals to win ahead of Reuben Rowbotham-Keating (2:03.84) of England and South Africa’s Dylan Eaton (2:06.07). Nigel Forbes (2:06.11) of Bahamas, just missed the podium in fourth, while Antigua and Barbuda’s Ethan Stubbs-Green (2:07.50), placed sixth.

There was an Australia one-two finish in the women’s event, where Mikayla Bird (2:12.66), finished ahead of Poppy Stephen (2:13.34) and England’s Ashleigh Baillie (2:16.74). Sierrah Broadbelt of Cayman Islands placed seventh in 2:23.45.

Earlier, Harper Barrowman of Cayman Islands, clocked 9:11.72 to secure bronze in the women’s 800m freestyle timed final. Hannah Erin Allen of Australia won the event in 8:48.66, ahead of New Zealand’s Hanna Adbou, who touched in 9:10.56.

Allen’s time was just shy of the Junior Games Record of 8:45.90 held by England’s Ariarne Darwent since 2015.

Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago and St Vincent and the Grenadines, the two lone Caribbean nations in the Fast5 Netball competition at Shaw Park Complex, both failed to make the medal round, finishing seventh and eighth, after going down 11-15 and 11-25 to Botswana and Canada, respectively.

Australia, England, South Africa and Scotland, are set to decide the medals.

At the end of day five, Trinidad and Tobago remained the top Caribbean Island with 11 medals in fifth on the medal standings, behind Australia (48), England (39), Scotland (20) and South Africa (17).

Cayman Islands is 10th with six medals, Jamaica 11th with four –based on quality –Guyana (three) 13th, Bahamas (four) 16th, Barbados and St Lucia, joint 21st, with two each and Grenada 25th, with a solitary bronze medal.

The curtains will come down on the Games on Thursday.

Cyclist Nicholas Paul and track and field athlete Michelle Lee Ahye walked away with the top male and female honours at the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee 27^th Annual Awards Ceremony held on Wednesday evening.

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 27^th 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.

The Amateur Swimming Association of Trinidad & Tobago and St. Lucia Aquatics Federation have both announced their respective teams for the FINA World Short-Course Swimming Championships to be held in Abu Dhabi from December 16-21.

Trinidad &Tobago will be represented Cherelle Thompson in the Women’s 50m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly; Dylan Carter in the Men’s 50m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly, 50m Backstroke, 100m Butterfly and 100m Freestyle while Nikoli Blackman will compete in the Men’s 400m Freestyle and 1500m Freestyle.

St. Lucia will have Jayhan Odlum-Smith in the Men’s 50m Butterfly and 100m Freestyle, Mikaili Charlemagne in the Women’s 50m Butterfly and 50m Freestyle, Naima Hazell in the Women’s 50 Breaststroke and 50m Backstroke and Terrel Monplaisir in the Men’s 50m Breaststroke and 50m Freestyle.