[UPDATED] Jereem surges into 400m final at World Champs

TT ace Jereem "The Dream" Richards will be targeting the perfect race when he lines up in the final of the men's 400-metre event at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, on September 18. The final will run off from 9.10 am (TT time), with the 31-year-old Richards heading into the finale with the third-fastest time from the semifinals.

On September 16, Richards ran a solid race and clocked a time of 44.12 seconds to finish as the fastest non-automatic qualifier. Richards' semifinal was the fastest of the three semis and also saw the fourth-place finisher Jacory Patterson (44.19) making the final as the next non-automatic qualifier.

The race was won by Botswana's Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, who ran a blistering time of 43.61 to establish a new world-leading time in the event for this year. Jamaica's Rusheen McDonald bettered his season's best for a second straight race and finished second behind Kebinatshipi in 44.04.

Running out of lane six, Richards was in an intense battle with the American Patterson in the centre of the track for most of the race and just edged ahead of the latter athlete in the last 50 metres or so to run his season's best time. Richards felt as though he had done enough to win the race as he bypassed Patterson, who had registered a sub-44 clocking in the heats. However, Richards was unaware that Kebinatshipi was running the race of his life out of lane two.

"I felt I finished strong. It was just a case where what I thought in terms of execution would have won the race, didn't," Richards told Citius Mag after the race. "Jacory and I were racing each other, and then the Botswana guy (Kebinatshipi) and Rusheen they just kinda went ahead and it's like I was stuck racing Jacory. (Jacory) ran 43 in the first round, so anyone would think he's the one to beat. With him being seeded right behind me, I knew he would have pushed the pedal a little bit and run up on me. We had a kinda back and forth going there and within that, the race just kind of went away from us."

With only the top two athletes from each semi advancing automatically to the final, both Richards and Patterson had a nervy wait on the bubble as they watched on for the last semifinal heat. In the end, their times bettered the winning time from the third semifinal which was won by Botswana's Bayapo Ndori in 44.21. The times clocked by Patterson and Richards were also faster than Zakithi Nene's 44.20 to win the first semi and should give both athletes encouragement going into what should be a highly- competitive final.

"After seeing the times we ran, I knew 44.1 would have gotten in. It's just a hotspot and I don't like to be there," Richards said, explaining the anxious wait to see if he would progress as a non-automatic qualifier.

"I was there in 2023 and I didn't make it. This time around it was like...it's just one of the most uncomfortable places to be. Especially sitting down after. You want to kinda move around to get the blood flowing. All glory to God. The plan was to make it to the final. It's not in the fashion I planned, but God's plan is always greater than mine. I'm trusting in Him and trusting in the process. I'm thankful for being able to make a final once again."

At the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Richards placed fourth in his semi in 44.76. Hoping to progress as a non-automatic qualifier, then, Richards was just bumped out by the pair of Havard Ingvaldsen (44.70) and 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk (44.65) as he missed out on the final.

This time around, Richards, the 400m world indoor champ from 2022, will take his place in another championship final. At last year's Olympic Games in Paris, Richards bolted to a national record of 43.78 in the 400m final, but narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal as he placed fourth. The silver and bronze medallists from that day, Matthew Hudson-Smith and Muzala Samukonga, have both missed out on making this year's world champs finale after finishing sixth and third, respectively, in the third and final semifinal.

Richards hopes this can be his time to shine again.

"It's going to take everything I have," Richards said, when asked what it would take to make the podium in Japan.

"At this point in my career, I know I have the ability and I know I'm able. Through God and through Jesus Christ, I'm able. I just have to trust the process and be ready for the moment. I pray that God prepares me for the moment, and I'm ready to execute. As you said, I've been here before, so it's nothing new to me."

From 6.10 am TT time on September 17, two-time Olympic medallist Keshorn Walcott will aim to follow in Richards' footsteps and clinch his own spot in a world champs final when he competes in group A of the men's javelin qualifying event. Group A is a stack field and includes Neeraj Chopra, the silver medallist from the Paris Olympics, and Julian Weber, who leads all javelin throwers this year with a personal and season's best of 91.51 metres. Walcott's season's best of 86.30m came when he registered a second-place finish at the Brussels Wanda Diamond League on August 22, and the veteran is hoping to find his best form in Japan.

"It's been a journey this season, but I can finally exhale and give it my all starting tomorrow," Walcott said, via Instagram on September 16.

The automatic qualifying mark for the javelin final is 84.50m.

This story has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

Trinidad and Tobago ace Jereem "The Dream" Richards advanced to the men's 400-metre final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan after placing third in 44.12 seconds in a blistering semifinal heat on September 16.

Running out of lane six, Richards did his utmost to try and keep pace with Botswana's Busang Collen Kebinatshipi who ran a stunning world-leading time of 43.61. There was no catching Kebinatshipi, though, as he pulled away from Richards and Jamaica's Rusheen McDonald (44.04) to finish a comfortable first in a personal best time.

With the top two in each heat advancing directly to the final, Richards missed out on an automatic spot. However, his 44.12 clocking is a season's best time and also bettered the winning times of the athletes in the other two semis, thus allowing him to advance to the final as the fastest non-automatic qualifier and with the third-best time in the semifinals.

USA's Jacory Patterson (44.19) was fourth in semifinal two, with his swift time also earning him a non-automatic qualifying spot for the final.

With the hopes of the country on his shoulders, Richards will face the starter at 9.10 am (TT time) on September 18 for the 400m final.