# Jereem Richards

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 has won four individual national titles.

## Personal life

Jereem Richards hails from Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago. He attended the Vessigny Secondary School at his home island. From 2011-2013 he attending A.S.J.A Boys’ College where he excelled academically. 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.

## 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.

### 2017

2017 became a breakout season for Richards. He opened his athletics year with a wind‑assisted 19.98 seconds in the 200 metres. Sixteen 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 0.7 seconds 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. The team went on to be named Best Male Athletes from Americas at the 2017 ANOC Awards.
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. 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 eased down on the line, giving Belgium the bronze. He won gold in the 200 m at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, he had initially finished second behind England's Zharnel Hughes, but Hughes was later disqualified for jostling as he accidentally hit Richards in the final 30 m.
At the 2019 World Relays, Richards helped the Trinidad and Tobago quartet including Deon Lendore, Asa Guevara and Machel Cedenio to win gold in the 4 x 400 m relay. At the 2019 World Championships held in Doha, Richards competed in the 200 m where he made the semi-finals. After failing to qualify for the final, Richards said that he had "Never been more disappointed in myself before."
Richards qualified for the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics held 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 semi-final to advance to the final. In the final, he finished eighth in 20.39 s. He went on to place eighth in the final as part of Trinidad and Tobago's men's 4 x 400 m relay team.

### 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. Richards ran in tribute to Lendore's memory as he died on 10 January 2022 in a car accident in Texas where he lived. On 28 May, Richards set a new personal best of 44.79 s over 400 m in finishing fifth at the Prefontaine Classic.
In June 2022, Richards won the 200 m at the Trinidad & Tobago Championships in a personal best of 19.83 s. He competed at the 2022 World Championships where he finished sixth in the 200 m. He also placed fifth as part of the Trinidadian men's 4x400 m relay.
At the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in United Kingdom, Richards won the 200 m title for the second time beating England's Zharnel Hughes. Richards' time of 19.80 s broke the Commonwealth Games record of 19.97 s which was previously held by Frankie Fredericks of Namibia and 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 4x400 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.
In July 2023, Richards won the 400 m at the CAC Games in San Salvador in a new personal best of 44.54 s. He went on to win another gold as part of the men's 4x400 m relay. At the 2023 World Championships, Richards competed in the 400 m, where he made it to the semi-finals.
In 2024, Richards set a big personal best over 400 m of 44.18 s in finishing third at the London Diamond League. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Richards finished fourth in the 400 m in a national record of 43.78 s, finishing behind bronze-medallist Muzala Samukonga by just 0.04 s. His time surpassed Machel Cedenio's previous national record of 44.01 s, meaning Richards was the first Trinidadian to run a sub-44 400 m.
In October 2024, it was announced that he had signed up for the inaugural season of the Michael Johnson founded Grand Slam Track.

## Achievements
### International competitions

Representing  Trinidad and Tobago :
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
| 2010 | CAC Junior Championships (U17) | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | 3rd | 4 × 100 m relay | 41.98 |
| 2010 | CAC Junior Championships (U17) | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:17.54 |
| 2011 | CARIFTA Games (U20) | Montego Bay, Jamaica | 6th | 400 m | 49.22 |
| 2011 | CARIFTA Games (U20) | Montego Bay, Jamaica | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:08.96 |
| 2011 | World Youth Championships | Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France | 10th (sf) | 200 m | 21.47 |
| 2011 | World Youth Championships | Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France | 6th | Medley relay | 1:52.77 |
| 2011 | Pan American Junior Championships | Miramar, FL, United States | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:13.27 |
| 2012 | World Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:06.85 NR |
| 2012 | CARIFTA Games (U20) | Hamilton, Bermuda | 5th | 200 m | 21.41 |
| 2012 | CARIFTA Games (U20) | Hamilton, Bermuda | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:11.62 |
| 2012 | CAC Junior Championships | San Salvador, El Salvador | 2nd | 200 m | 20.98 |
| 2012 | CAC Junior Championships | San Salvador, El Salvador | 3rd | 4 × 100 m relay | 39.99 |
| 2012 | 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 |
| 2013 | CARIFTA Games (U20) | Nassau, Bahamas | 2nd | 4 × 100 m relay | 40.36 |
| 2013 | CARIFTA Games (U20) | Nassau, Bahamas | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:06.23 |
| 2013 | 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 |
| 2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 3rd | 200 m | 20.11 |
| 2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 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 |
| 2018 | Commonwealth Games | Gold Coast, Australia | 1st | 200 m | 20.12 |
| 2018 | Commonwealth Games | Gold Coast, Australia | 4th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.85 |
| 2019 | 2019 Pan American Games | Lima, Peru | 2nd | 200 m | 20.38 |
| 2019 | 2019 Pan American Games | Lima, Peru | 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.25 |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 10th (sf) | 200 m | 20.28 |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 5th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:00.74 SB |
| 2022 | World Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 1st | 400 m | 45.00 CR NR |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, OR, United States | 6th | 200 m | 20,08 |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, OR, United States | 5th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:00.03 SB |
| 2022 | Commonwealth Games | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 1st | 200 m | 19.80 PB GR |
| 2022 | Commonwealth Games | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.29 |
| 2023 | Central American and Caribbean Games | San Salvador, El Salvador | 1st | 400 m | 44.54 |
| 2023 | Central American and Caribbean Games | San Salvador, El Salvador | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.99 |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 8th (sf) | 400 m | 44.76 |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 14th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.54 |
| 2024 | World Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 8th (sf) | 400 m | 46.64 |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Paris, France | 4th | 400 m | 43.78 |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Paris, France | 15th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:06.73 |

### Personal bests

* 100 metres – 10.23 (+1.4 m/s, Port of Spain 2019)
* 200 metres – 19.80 (+1.1 m/s, Birmingham 2022)
** 200 metres indoor – 20.31 (College Station, TX 2017) NR
* 300 metres – 33.16 (Port of Spain 2016)
** 300 metres indoor – 32.10 (Boston, MA 2018)
* 400 metres – 43.78 (Saint-Denis, France 2024) NR
** 400 metres indoor – 45.00 (Belgrade 2022) NR

### National titles

* Trinidad and Tobago Championships
** 200 metres: 2017, 2019, 2022
** 4 × 100 m relay: 2012, 2022
As of 19 September 2024, Richards holds the track record for 400 metres for San Salvador where on 6 July 2023 he set a time of 44.54 seconds.