Ahye against the odds

Michelle-Lee Ahye has quite an impressive track resume. As a teen, the Carenage sprinter struck gold at the Carifta Games. She went on to make her mark on the senior stage, winning the 2018 Commonwealth Games 100 metres title, finishing sixth in the 100 and 200 ­finals at the 2016 Olympics, and helping Trinidad and Tobago to 4x100 bronze at the 2015 World Championships.

Add to Ahye’s list of achievements Pan American Games women’s 100m bronze. That medal took the Trinidad and Tobago tally at Santiago 2023 to four—sprint gold and keirin silver for cyclist Nicholas Paul, men’s 3x3 basketball bronze and Ahye’s bronze.

Ahye emerged as the only T&T medallist in track and field at the latest edition of the hemispheric games. Just six athletes competed for the Red, White and Black. This was no surprise, given the fact that elite track and field athletes are usually preparing for the following year in late October/early November.

As a nation, therefore, we should be grateful that a sprinter of Ahye’s quality chose to don her spikes in Santiago. A spot on the podium was a welcome bonus.

We owe Ahye a debt of gratitude. The 2023 season was not an easy one for the T&T sprint queen. Based in the United States in recent years, circumstances forced her to train at home ahead of the World Athletics Championships.

Ahye had to find a local coach to guide her on that journey. Antonia Burton stepped up to the plate, providing expert guidance on the track and in the gym.

Ahye shrugged off the many challenges she faced as she prepared for her World Champs campaign in Budapest, Hungary. In addition to training alone, under the guidance of a new coach, she had to negotiate the terrible inconvenience of a closed Hasely Crawford Stadium, which was being refurbished ahead of the Commonwealth Youth Games.

With the Crawford stadium unavailable, there were limited opportunities to compete. But Ahye soldiered on.

In late July, Ahye struck gold at the National Championships. In August, she travelled to Budapest, clocking a season’s best 11.16 seconds in the opening round of the World Championship women’s 100m dash. The 31-year-old track star followed up with an 11.18 run for fifth spot in her semi-final heat. She was 16th overall—an impressive showing given all she endured.

Had Ahye decided to skip Santiago 2023, we would have understood. With the Olympic Games taking place next year, she could have opted to rest and recharge ahead of the Road to Paris campaign. But she didn’t.

Instead, Ahye stretched her 2023 season all the way to October 31. Training for two additional months, following her World Championship races in late August, would have been a challenge in itself. Staying mentally engaged for that period, after a very trying 2023, was even tougher.

A special thank you goes out to Michelle-Lee and Antonia. Thanks to this team—these women of substance—T&T track and field enjoyed precious Pan Am podium success.