Richards, Ahye in World Championships semis

Trinidad and Tobago athletes Jereem Richards and Michelle- Lee Ahye have both qualified for the semi-final of their respective individual events at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

In heat three of the men's 400m on Sunday, Richards clocked 45.15 seconds to finish third and earn automatic qualification. The race was won by Norwegian Håvard Bentdal Ingvaldsen in a national record time of 44.39s whilst USA`s Vernon Norwood 44.87s was second.

The Central American and Caribbean champion Richards will run his semifinal race on Tuesday at 3pm TT time. Also qualifying for the semis were Bahamian Steven Gardiner, Wayde Van Niekerk (South Africa) and Kirani James (Grenada).

Sprinting out of lane four in the women's 100m, Ahye clocked a season's best 11.16 seconds for second place behind Jamaican and three-time World Championship gold medallist Shericka Jackson who timed 11.06. German Gina Luckenkemper was third in 11.21.

In heat three, TT`s Leah Bertrand finished sixth with a time of 11.32 seconds and did not qualify for the next round.

Qualifying for Monday's semis were the likes of American star Sha'Carri Richardson (USA) 10.92, Julien Alfred (St Lucia) 10.99, defending champion and Jamaican icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 11.01, and Marie-Josee Ta Lou (Ivory Coast) 11.08-seconds.

Ahye lines up in lane three of the first semi-final at 2.35pm TT time on Monday and will come up against Fraser-Pryce, Daryll Neita (Great Britian) and Luckenkemper.