Trinidad and Tobago sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye overwhelmed with surprise sportswoman award win

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ATHLETICS Trinidad and Tobago sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye overwhelmed with surprise sportswoman award win

Festus Chuma 20:34 - 03.01.2024

Trinidad and Tobago sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye earns top national accolade, surprising many with her stellar 2023 season performance.

Trinidad and Tobago sprint sensation Michelle-Lee Ahye was honored with the prestigious Sportswoman of the Year award for 2023 at the 29th annual TTOC award ceremony held at the Hyatt Regency.

Ahye, at 31, edged past the 2022 winner, European-based cyclist Teniel Campbell, to clinch this year's title.

Ahye's outstanding performance peaked during the 2023 season when she secured a bronze medal in the women’s 100-metre event at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, clocking an impressive 11.53 seconds.

This achievement marked her second Pan Am medal, following a silver in the 100-metre event in Lima, Peru, in 2019.

"I was shocked [when I got the award]. I did not really get any awards this season. I had an up and down season. When I heard my name, I was like ‘whoa, okay. That is good," she said as per NewsDay.

At the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, she was the sole TT sprinter to reach the semi-final round in the women’s 100-metre event. However, her journey ended in the semis with a joint-fifth finish, clocking 11.18 seconds.

Reflecting on her season, Ahye stated, “This season, it was about being able to survive the track. I was just happy I was able to complete my season and I am good now.”

The TTOC’s junior Sportswoman of the Year award was presented to Sanaa Frederick, a promising young sprinter who won medals at the Carifta Games, the CAC Games, and the Commonwealth Youth Games hosted in Trinidad and Tobago.

Ahye acknowledged the rising talent of younger athletes, remarking, “Every year I always get competition from the younger ones. They are proving they have potential for the future.”

Ahye's journey has been one of resilience and determination. She returned to the track in 2021 after a two-year ban due to ‘whereabouts failures’.

Her career highlights include winning a bronze in the 4x100m relay at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing.

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