JEREEM Richards and Teniel Campbell won the sportsman and sportswoman of the year awards respectively at the TT Olympic Committee Annual Awards on Thursday.
Richards was one of TT’s stars at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games winning gold in the men’s 200-metre event.
He broke his personal best and a meet record on his way to defending his men’s 200m title.
Richards, who previously had a personal best of 19.83 seconds, won the event in 19.80. He erased the previous Commonwealth Games record of 19.97, held by Frankie Fredericks of Namibia since 1994. Richards was not far away from breaking the national record of 19.77 held by Ato Boldon since 1997. Richards won another gold when he ran the anchor leg for TT in the men’s 4x400m relay. The team included Dwight St Hillaire, Asa Guevara and Machel Cedenio.
Richards said, “To become the sportsman of the year for 2022 I would say it is a blessing. I am very thankful and grateful for all the blessings I have had on and off the track. To be able to lift up this prestigious award it is always an honour. I would just like to say thank you to everyone that supported and helped this season.”
Campbell, who made her Olympic debut in 2021, won gold at the 2022 Elite Caribbean Road Championships in Dominican Republic in October.
At the 2022 Pan American Track Cycling Championships in Peru Campbell won multiple medals including a gold medal in the women’s points race.
At the Commonwealth Games, Campbell finished sixth in the women’s road race in a field of over 50 cyclists. In the time trial, she ended seventh in a field which included over 30 athletes.
Campbell was thankful to receive the award. “I am privileged and honoured to be our 2022 sportswoman of the year. I will firstly like to thank God, my family, my professional team Team Bike Exchange…the support I get locally and everybody you have supported me in general throughout this year. Let’s aim to make 2023 an even better and greater one.”
Also winning awards were swimmer Nikoli Blackman (junior sportsman of the year), cyclist Phoebe Sandy (junior sportswoman), journalist Rachel Thompson-King (Future is Female Award), cyclist Nicholas Paul (People’s Choice) and administrator Maureen Craig-Rosseau (Alexander B Chapman award). The Alexander B Chapman award is given to someone who has contributed to sport and demonstrates Olympism.
Richards also won the sports personality award.
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