Jereem Richards chases another World Champs medal

Name: Jereem Richards

Age: 28

Events: 200m, 4x400m relay

Career Highlights: 2018 Commonwealth Games gold (200m), 2019 World Relays gold (4x400m relay), 2022 World Indoor Championships gold (400m), 2017 World Championships bronze (200m)

JEREEM Richards will be one of the more seasoned campaigners on the TT 11-member team for the 2022 World Athletics Championships from Friday-July 24 in Oregon, USA. He will be vying for a repeat of his 2017 World Championships performance.

Richards, 28, will line up in the men’s 200-metre and men’s 4x400m events at the games. Richards has made his mark at the World Championships previously, grabbing bronze in the 200m event in 20.11 seconds at the 2017 World Championships in London.

His 4x400m team-mates at this year’s World Championships are Dwight St Hillaire, Asa Guevara, Shakeem McKay and Kashief King.

Richards, of Abilene Wildcats, showed his quality at the 2022 National Gas Company National Association of Athletics Administrations Open Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, last month.

He sprinted to gold in a personal best and meet record of 19.83 seconds. He threatened to break the national record held by Ato Boldon, who has the mark of 19.77.

Richards has the experience of competing in finals at major events and will certainly be eyeing another medal.

He was eighth in 20.39 in the 200m final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics last year. The race was won by Canadian Andre De Grasse in 19.62.

The 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, was one of his highlights.

Richards did not initially win gold in the 200m final.

Zharnel Hughes of England won the race, but officials disqualified him for impeding Richards with his arm during the closing stages of the race.

Richards, who thought he had to settle for silver in 20.12, was awarded the gold medal.

Canadian Aaron Brown took silver in 20.34 and Leon Reid of Northern Ireland earned bronze in 20.55.

This season Richards has been competing regularly at international meets in both the 400m and 200m events.

In March, he copped gold at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Richards won in a new national record of 45.00, ahead of American Trevor Bassitt (45.05) and Carl Bengtstrom of Sweden (45.33).

In May, Richards took bronze in 20.15 in the 200m event in a quality field at the Doha Diamond League.

Richards finished just ahead of De Grasse to get on the podium. Americans Noah Lyles and Fred Kerley were first and second respectively in 19.72 and 19.75.

Richards, born in Pt Fortin, has also achieved success in the men’s 4x400m event over his career.

At the 2019 IAAF World Relays he was part of the TT quartet which earned gold.

Richards, the late Deon Lendore, Guevara and Machel Cedenio took gold in three minutes, 00.81 seconds.