[UPDATED] AHYE OUT

Michelle Lee Ahye
Michelle Lee Ahye

TT sprint queen and Commonwealth Games 100-metre champion Michelle-Lee Ahye has been provisionally suspended by the world track and field governing body IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation).

And the 27-year-old Ahye will have to miss the IAAF World Championships, scheduled from September 27-October 6 in Doha, Qatar.

In a tweet yesterday, Athletics Integrity Unit – an independent body of the IAAF – said, “The AIU confirms a provisional suspension against Trinidadian sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye for a violation of the IAAF Anti-Doping Rules.”

According to the published list, Ahye was provisionally suspended for "Whereabouts Failures."

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules require athletes to submit their whereabouts for one hour every day, plus overnight accommodation and training information, in case they are needed for out-of-competition testing.

The NAAATT (National Association of Athletics Administrations of TT) issued a statement indicating that Ahye was charged with a combination of three missed tests and/or filing failures, as defined in the international standard for testing and investigations, within the 12-month period beginning on 23 June 2018.

The missed tests and/or filing failures, according to the charge, occurred on June 23, 2018, February 23, and April 19.

According to the local governing body, "NAAATT notes that there were no adverse analytic findings, meaning no positive tests were recorded for any substances or methods as per the WADA prohibited list 2019. Michelle-Lee has been afforded an opportunity to defend this charge."

Ahye copped gold in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, at the Gold Coast in Australia, and followed up with the silver medal at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru last month.

On June 20, Ahye, the 2018 First Citizens Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year, was arrested in Houston, Texas, US, for domestic abuse, but she was released a day later.

Her estranged wife Chelsea Renee later admitted that she did not press charges after Ahye's arrest.

Brian Lewis, president of the TT Olympic Committee (TTOC), declined comment on the provisional suspension, while Ahye's manager Afeisha Wright promised to issue a media release yesterday afternoon.

No release was forthcoming up to press time last evening, and all subsequent efforts to reach Wright proved futile.

The NAAATT also issued the TT team who will compete at the World Championships.

The team, which includes double Olympic medallist Keshorn Walcott and Commonwealth 200m gold medallist Jereem Richards, will head to Doha on September 18 for a training camp.

TT team (events in brackets) –

Men: Kyle Greaux (200m); Jereem Richards (200m, 4x400m relay); Machel Cedenio (400m, 4x400m relay); Darren Alfred, Deon Lendore, Onal Mitchell, Asa Guevara (4x400m relay); Keshorn Walcott (javelin); Andwuelle Wright (long jump).

Women: Kamaria Durant, Mauricia Prieto (200m, 4x100m relay); Kelly Ann Baptiste (100m, 4x100m relay); Reyare Thomas, Semoy Hackett (4x100m relay); Portious Warren (shot put).

Technical Staff: Dexter Voisin (manager); Wendell Williams (coach - long jump); Ian Carter, Charles Joseph (coach - sprints and relays); Ismael Lopez Mastrapa (coach - throws); Dr Anyl Gopeesingh (doctor); Anthony Walcott, Nicole Fuentes (medical).

This story was originally published with the title "National sprint queen Ahye suspended" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.


TT sprint queen and Commonwealth Games 100-metre champion Michelle-Lee Ahye has been provisionally suspended by the world track and field governing body IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation).

In a tweet earlier today, Athletics Integrity Unit, an independent body of the IAAF, said, “The AIU confirms a provisional suspension against Trinidadian sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye for a violation of the IAAF Anti-Doping Rules.”

According to the published list, Ahye was provisionally suspended for "Whereabouts Failures."

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules require athletes to submit their whereabouts for one hour every day, plus overnight accommodation and training information, in case they are needed for out-of-competition testing.

The 27-year-old was the silver medallist at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru last month. With this news, it seems likely that Ahye will have to miss the IAAF World Championships, scheduled from September 27-October 6 in Doha, Qatar.

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"[UPDATED] AHYE OUT"

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