FORTY-NINE years ago, Laura Pierre paved the way for what would eventually become a hotbed for world class female athletes.
Pierre represented TT at the 1972 Munich Games, becoming the first woman from this country to do so. She was just 16.
At age 65, the Arima-born sprinter holds a personal best of 23.8 seconds in the women’s 200 metres, which Pierre set in 1972, shortly before the Olympic Games in Munich. A repeat of her record-breaking performance would have seen her on the podium.
Seeing sporting heroes on television has undoubtedly increased awareness and interest in the sport, and with an increasing number of track and field clubs and national school meets, world-beaters have consistently emerged.
Since Pierre retired, her national 200m record has been reset many times, particularly in recent years by the likes of Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Semoy Hackett, and Michelle-Lee Ahye – the current record holder with 22.25 seconds.
[caption id="attachment_906023" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Michelle Lee Ahye remains the national record holder for the 200m with 22.25 seconds. -[/caption]
Ahye has gone further, becoming one of the world’s most recognisable women sprinters.
She rose to track stardom at the Glasgow Diamond League meet in 2014 after beating the defending 100m Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce in 11.01 seconds.
Two years later, Ahye sealed her worth when she qualified for the Olympics for a second time, and impressed after placing sixth overall in a competitive final.
And just months after that, she once again produced hers and TT’s fastest ever women’s 100m sprint in 10.82 seconds, a record she holds to today.
Yet the 29-year-old’s crowning performance came in 2018, when she became TT’s first ever female gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games, winning the 100m in Gold Coast, Australia.
So the stakes were high, as were expectations, when Ahye stepped up in heat three of the women’s 100m semifinals in Tokyo on July 31.
Needless to say, hearts were shattered as she clocked 11 seconds but finished agonisingly close – one thousandth of a second short of one of the two “fastest-loser” spots available for the final. It was her best performance of the season.
“Yes 8th fastest time,” she Tweeted afterwards.
“But unfortunately it wasn’t enough to make it to finals... overall I’m proud of myself for making it this far with all the setbacks I had.”
Last Wednesday, Ahye and Baptiste, along with Kai Selvon and Kalifa St Fort, were disappointed not to advance to the final after finishing eighth in their women’s 4x100m relay hear.
[caption id="attachment_906022" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Tyra Gittens competes in the qualification rounds of the women’s long jump, on August 1, at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. AP Photo -[/caption]
Qualifying for three successive Olympics is a feat in itself. Baptiste, her long-time teammate, recorded a fourth Olympic appearance.
Disappointment hits twice as hard when expectations are high. To make matters worse, Ahye, like many of TT’s other
