Walcott, Bertrand walk away with top honours at TTOC awards

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

World champion javelin thrower Keshorn Walcott and sprinter Leah Bertrand capped off an impressive 2025 by capturing the Sportsman of the Year and Sportswoman of the Year awards at the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee's (TTOC) 31st awards ceremony held over the weekend.

The 32-year-old Walcott, a two-time Olympic medallist, was the overwhelming favourite to win the award following his gold medal-winning performance at the World Athletics Championships in Japan, where he hurled the javelin 88.16 metres.

He also showed steady form throughout the year, with a series of 80-plus-metre throws on the Diamond League circuit in Europe, to go along with an 83.77m throw, which helped him claim top honours yet again at the NAAATT Open Championships.

Among the women, Bertrand reigned supreme for the second consecutive year.

In 2025, Bertrand lowered her personal bests to 10.92 seconds in the 100-metre and 22.54 over 200m, while she defended her 100m title at the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAATT) Open Championships in August with a time of 11.04 - firmly positioning herself as the country's leading female sprinter.

Meanwhile, Jereem Richards, who grabbed silver in the men's 400 metres at the World Athletics Championships in a national record time of 43.72, was named Sports Personality of the Year.

Following a sterling year on the cycling track, rising sensation Makaira Wallace copped the Junior Sportswoman of the Year award, with Jaden Marchan copping the Junior Sportsman of the Year honour.

The Future is Female Award went to Pan Am Junior 100m gold medallist Shaniqua Bascombe, with Joyce Walker-Thomas receiving the Alexander B Chapman Award for her 25-plus years of service in a coaching and mentorship capacity across varying sports.