TOP YOUTH sprinter Khalifa St Fort is among the nominees for the Top Youth Female Sporting Personality of the Year, as the First Citizens Sports Foundation stages its 2015 Youth Awards on Friday. The ceremony will take place at the Hyatt Regency, Portof- Spain.
St Fort, a 17-year-old American- born sprinter, came to prominence last year, with a gold medal run in the women’s 100-metre final at the Pan American Junior Championships in Edmonton, Canada.
Coached by legendary TT sprinter Ato Boldon, she also copped a silver medal in the 100m at the World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia, and was part of the national squad which took bronze in the 4x100m relay at the World Championships in Beijing, China.
A total of 24 male and 19 female athletes will be vying for top honours at the end.
Other notable names are cyclist Kollyn St George, who captured three gold medals at the Pan American Junior Cycling Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico; squash player Nku Patrick, who took the men’s Under-19 crown at the Caribbean Junior Championships in Barbados; swimmer Christian Marsden, who set a new national record en route to claiming his third straight Maracas Open Water 5k event and sprinter Akanni Hislop, who claimed gold in the men’s Under-18 200 metres at the CARIFTA Games in Bird Rock, St Kitts.
Nominees - Male: Christian McDonald (amateur boxing); Frankie Zachary Boodram (automobile sports); Will Lee (badminton); Joshua Johnson (chess); Cephas Cooper (cricket); Tyler Cole (cycling); Kristien Emmanuel (field hockey); Isaiah Hudson (football); Sachin Kumar (golf); Shane Ramsingh (gymnastics); Xavier Jones (judo); Keiden Joseph (karate); Kieron Samaroo (powerlifting); Jeron Pantor (rugby); Christoph Dells (sailing); Nku Patrick (squash); Christian Marsden (swimming); Jeron Thompson (swimming); Aaron Wilson (table tennis); Jean-Maurice Young (taekwondo); Omprakaash Singh (target archery); Aidan Carter (tennis); Akanni Hislop (track and field); Joshua Ho (triathlon).
Female: Jada Renales (badminton); Javanna Smith (chess); Kollyn St George (cycling); Samantha Olton (field hockey); Ysabelle Lawrence (golf); Rhenece Andrew (gymnastics); Gabriella Wood (judo); Kate Gordon (karate); Salisha Rahim (powerlifting); Chantelle Charles (rugby); Abigail Affoo (sailing); Marie-Claire Barcant (squash); Amira Pilgrim (swimming); Brittany Joseph (table tennis); Chelsea Mofford (taekwondo); Amaara Beharry (target archery); Emma Davis (tennis); Khalifa St Fort (track and field); Lilly Stauble (triathlon).