Jereem Richards
Richards at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade
Personal information
Born (1994-01-13) 13 January 1994
Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago[1]
Height1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight68 kg (150 lb)
Spousemarried in 2020
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)200 metres, 400 metres
College teamAlabama Crimson Tide
Coached byBlaine Wiley
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Trinidad and Tobago
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2017 London4×400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place2017 London200 m
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place2022 Belgrade400 m
Bronze medal – third place2012 Istanbul4×400 m relay
World Relays
Gold medal – first place2019 Yokohama4×400 m relay
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place2018 Gold Coast200 m
Gold medal – first place2022 Birmingham200 m
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place2019 Lima200 m
Bronze medal – third place2019 Lima4×400 m relay
CAC Championships
Bronze medal – third place2013 Morelia4×100 m relay
Pan American Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place2011 Miramar4×400 m relay
CAC Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place2012 San Salvador200 m
Bronze medal – third place2012 San Salvador4×100 m relay
CARIFTA Games (Junior)
Gold medal – first place2011 Montego Bay4×400 m relay
Silver medal – second place2012 Hamilton4×400 m relay
Silver medal – second place2013 Nassau4×100 m relay
Silver medal – second place2013 Nassau4×400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place2013 Nassau200 m
CAC Junior Championships (U17)
Silver medal – second place2010 Santo Domingo4×400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place2010 Santo Domingo4×100 m relay

Jereem Richards (born 13 January 1994) is a Trinidadian track and field sprinter who specializes in the 200 metres and 400 metres events. He won the bronze medal in the 200 m at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics and gold for the 400 m at the 2022 World Indoor Championships. Richards took 200m titles at both the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games. He was part of the Trinidad and Tobago team that won the bronze medal in the men's 4 × 400 m relay at the 2012 World Indoor Championships and a gold medal at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics.

Richards is the Trinidad and Tobago indoor record holder for the 200 m and 400 m. He won three individual national titles.

Personal life

Jereem Richards hails from Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago. He attended the Vessigny Secondary School at his home island. In 2014–15, he attended South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, and then transferred to University of Alabama in 2016. In September the following year, Richards forfeited his eligibility to compete in college to turn professional.[2][3]

Career

His first major competition was the 2012 World Indoor Championships held in Istanbul, Turkey. There, he ran the third leg of Trinidad and Tobago's 4 x 400 m relay, which won the bronze medal.[4]

2017

2017 became a breakout season for Richards. He opened his athletics year with a wind-assisted 19.98 seconds in the 200 m , and 16 days later he ran his first legal sub-20 with 19.97 s, lowering his personal best by over half a second. He won the national 200 m title in 20.15 seconds, allowing him to compete at the London World Championships later that year. He also improved his 400 m personal best by 7/10ths of a second with 45.27 s.

Richards made his outdoor world championship debut at London 2017. Competing in the 200 m, he ran the fastest time in the heats of 20.05 s, and the next day he won his semi-final in 20.14 s. He then went on to win the bronze medal in the final; Ramil Guliyev of Turkey won gold in 20.09 s, while Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa beat Richards to the silver medal by exactly 1/1000 of a second, clocking 20.106 to 20.107 s. Richards stated that his race had been undermined when he slipped coming out of his blocks. "I tried my best not to let it affect me too much," he said. "At the turn I wasn't in contention really, so to get a medal from there is a great achievement." Three days later, he ran the second leg for Trinidad and Tobago in the men's 4 x 400 m relay, making considerable ground off the USA's Gil Roberts before handing the baton to Machel Cedenio. The team ultimately went on to win gold.[5]

In September later that year, Richards announced that he was turning professional and foregoing his final year of collegiate eligibility; he signed an endorsement deal with Adidas.[6] Despite turning pro, he remained enrolled at Alabama to continue work towards his degree.

2018–2021

In March 2018, he competed in the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, as the second leg of Trinidad and Tobago's 4 x 400 m relay. Despite being the defending champions, they ultimately came fourth. Richards tried to overcome Poland on the second leg but remained third on the second lap. Lalonde Gordon gave up on the line, giving Belgium the bronze.

Richards qualified for the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics held in 2021 in Tokyo in the men’s 200-metre event, and clocked a season’s best time of 20.10 s while finishing in third place in his semifinal heat to advance to the final.[7] In the final he finished eighth in 20.39 s.[8]

2022–present

In 2022, at the World Indoor Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia, he won gold in the men's 400 m event breaking Trinidad and Tobago's national indoor record as well as the championship record of 45.11 s which was formerly held by Nery Brenes of Costa Rica since 2012. Richards' time of 45.00 s broke Deon Lendore's former national record of 45.05 s. Lendore also bagged bronze medals at the two previous editions of the championships. Richards ran in tribute to Lendore's memory who died on 10 January 2022 in a car accident in Texas where he lived.[9]

At the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in United Kingdom, Richards won the 200 m title for the second time beating England's Zharnel Hughes who was previously disqualified in the previous edition of the Games for impeding Richards. Richards' time of 19.80 s broke the Commonwealth Games record of 19.97 s which was previously held by Frankie Fredericks of Namibia as it also made Richards the second fastest Trinbagonian of all time behind Ato Boldon. Later, at the Games' final event which was the men's 4 x 400 m relay, Richards anchored the Trinidad and Tobago quartet to gold in a time of 3:01:59 earning his second gold medal of the Games and the most of any Trinbagonian athlete competing at the Commonwealths. The performance of the athletes at the 2022 Commonwealth Games were the best performance by any Trinbagonian team since the 1966 edition.

Achievements

International competitions

Representing  Trinidad and Tobago
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTime
2010 CAC Junior Championships (U17) Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 3rd 4 × 100 m relay 41.98
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:17.54
2011 CARIFTA Games (U20) Montego Bay, Jamaica 6th 400 m 49.22
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:08.96
World Youth Championships Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France 10th (sf) 200 m 21.47
6th Medley relay 1:52.77
Pan American Junior Championships Miramar, FL, United States 2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:13.27
2012 World Indoor Championships Instanbul, Turkey 3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:06.85 NR
CARIFTA Games (U20) Hamilton, Bermuda 5th 200 m 21.41
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:11.62
CAC Junior Championships San Salvador, El Salvador 2nd 200 m 20.98
3rd 4 × 100 m relay 39.99
World Junior Championships Barcelona, Spain 3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:06.32
2013 CARIFTA Games (U20) Nassau, Bahamas 3rd 200 m 20.69 w
2nd 4 × 100 m relay 40.36
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:06.23
CAC Championships Morelia, Mexico 3rd 4 × 100 m relay 39.26
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, United Kingdom 33rd (h) 200 m 21.13
2017 World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 4th 4 × 400 m relay 3:03.17
World Championships London, United Kingdom 3rd 200 m 20.11
1st 4 × 400 m relay 2:58.12 WL NR
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 4th 4 × 400 m relay 3:02.52 NR
Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 1st 200 m 20.12
4th 4 × 400 m relay 3:02.85
2019 2019 Pan American Games Lima, Peru 2nd 200 m 20.38
3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:02.25
World Championships Doha, Qatar 10th (sf) 200 m 20.28
5th 4 × 400 m relay 3:00.74 SB
2022 World Indoor Championships Belgrade, Serbia 1st 400 m 45.00 CR NR
World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 6th 200 m 20,08
5th 4 × 400 m relay 3:00.03 SB
Commonwealth Games Birmingham, United Kingdom 1st 200 m 19.80 PB GR
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:01.29
2023 Central American and Caribbean Games San Salvador, El Salvador 1st 400 m 44.54
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:01.99
World Championships Budapest, Hungary 8th (sf) 400 m 44.76
14th (h) 4 × 400 m relay 3:01.54

Personal bests

National titles

References

  1. ↑ 2018 CEG bio
  2. ↑ "2016-17 Cross Country/Track & Field Roster – Jereem Richards". Alabama Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  3. ↑ "Alabama Track & Field's Jereem Richards to Begin Professional Career - Alabama Athletics". Alabama Athletics. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  4. ↑ "WORLD INDOORS BRONZE!". Trinidad Express. 11 March 2012. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  5. ↑ "Trinidad & Tobago Upsets U.S. For Men's 4x400m World Title - FloTrack". Retrieved 2017-12-02.
  6. ↑ "Trinidad & Tobago World Medalist Jereem Richards Signs With adidas - FloTrack". Retrieved 2017-12-02.
  7. ↑ "Jereem clocks season's best to reach Olympic 200m final". 3 August 2021.
  8. ↑ "Results - 200 Metres Men - Final". World Athletics. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "Jereem powers to World Indoors 400m gold". newsday.co.tt. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
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