The Trinidad & Tobago Championships delivered a thrilling weekend of Trinidadian sports, with Richard Thompson breaking his own national record in the 100m and Michelle-Lee Ahye securing an impressive sprint double. The competition at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain saw standout performances in sprinting, hurdles, and field events, reaffirming T&T’s reputation as an athletics powerhouse.

Thompson Sets a National Record

Richard “Torpedo” Thompson, the 2008 Olympic silver medallist, put on a show in the 100m final, storming to victory in a world-leading time of 9.82 seconds (breaking his previous national record by 0.03 seconds).

Thompson led from the midway point, leaving his competitors trailing:

• Keston Bledman claimed silver in 10.00 seconds
• Darrel Brown returned to form, securing bronze in 10.05 seconds
• Marc Burns (10.21) and Rondell Sorrillo (10.23) rounded out the top five

“I didn’t come in chasing any time, and the national record was the furthest thing from my mind,” Thompson told reporters. “But I knew I had a tough field to beat, so I just focused on my execution.”

Ahye Dominates the Women’s Sprints

Over in the women’s 100m, Michelle-Lee Ahye delivered a breakout performance, clocking 10.85 seconds in the semi-finals before sealing gold in the final with a 10.88-second run. She followed up with another dominant victory in the 200m, winning in 22.95 seconds after setting a lifetime best of 22.77 in the semi-finals.

“I was shocked,” said Ahye. “I never expected to run that fast, especially in the semis!”

With this performance, she moves to second place on Trinidad & Tobago’s all-time list, just 0.02 seconds shy of the national record.

Photo Finishes

The men’s 400m final saw a dramatic finish, with Renny Quow and Lalonde Gordon both clocking 45.08 seconds. A photo finish determined Quow as the winner by a mere four-thousandths of a second.

Meanwhile, in one of the biggest upsets of the event, world champion Jehue Gordon was defeated in the 400m hurdles by Emanuel Mayers, who claimed victory in a personal best of 49.57 seconds.

But these weren’t all. The track has seen a lot of other notable performances:

• Wayne Davis, setting a championship record of 13.21 seconds in the 110m hurdles
• Shakeil Waithe, winning the men’s javelin with a personal best of 72.75m
• Cleopatra Borel, capturing her ninth national shot put title with a throw of 18.63m

With record-breaking performances, photo finishes, and surprise victories, the Trinidad & Tobago Championships once again highlighted the nation’s deep athletic talent. Trinidad sports continue to thrive. Fans eagerly anticipate seeing these athletes compete on the international stage, carrying the legacy of Trini football, cricket, and track and field forward.