media_artricles :: 2014

Sprint queen wins Lucerne double

TRINIDAD AND Tobago sprinter Michelle Lee Ahye completed a remarkable sprint double yesterday, taking gold in the women’s 100-metre and 200m events at the International Athletics Meeting in Lucerne, Switzerland.

But what was supposed to be a joyous occasion for the 22-year-old ended up in a scare as her medal in the 200m final looked to have come at a high price.

Locked in battle with Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown with about 50m to go, Ahye, running out of lane two, stepped on the accelerator and there was no catching her as she pulled away impressively from the field. In full control and striding powerfully towards the finish line, Ahye began to grimace with about 10 metre left and hobbled across the line clutching her left hamstring as she collapsed to the turf.

With just seven days to go for the start of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, TT will be hoping it is nothing too serious that would deny her the chance of representing this country. The local athlete took to Twitter yesterday to allay the fears of her fans, stating “hey everyone I’m okay it’s nothing serious was just a cramp.”

Just last week Ahye stunned the world with a golden finish at the Diamond league Meeting in Glasgow, edging out Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce for first in the 100m in a time of 11.01 seconds.

Ahye, unbeaten, this season, showed her class again yesterday with a 22.77 finish even while limping across the line. Coming in second was Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas in 22.99 while Tiffany Townsend of the USA followed in 23.03.

Ahye had earlier claimed the gold in the 100m final in a sizzling 11.09 seconds ahead of Tianna Bartoletta of the USA who timed 11.20 and Jamaica’s Schillonie Calvert who clocked 11.32.

Ahye has had a phenomenal 2014, scorching the tracks around the world and enticing her local fans after she sprinted away with gold in the 100m and 200m events at the National Championships last month.

In the men’s 100m final yesterday, Jamaican Asafa Powell, in his first race since the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced his doping ban from 18 months to six months, had to settle for a bronze medal. Jamaican Julian Forte clinched the gold in a modest 10.23 while Antoine Adams of St Kitts and Nevis took the silver in 10.29. Powell had a time of 10.30. Trinidad and Tobago’s Keston Bledman was in the final but came in fourth position.

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