Sports
Roneil Walcott
For the second straight year, Trinidad and Tobago sprinter Jereem Richards put his all on the track in a global 400-metre final to shatter the national record. At the National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan in the World Athletics Championships on September 18, Richards produced a brilliant run from lane two to snatch silver in the men’s 400m final in a stunning time of 43.72 seconds, just dipping under the 43.78 time he ran at the 2024 Paris Olympics to set a then-national record.
In last year’s Olympic final, Richards’ 43.78 clocking saw him agonisingly finishing outside of the medals in fourth as Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga took bronze in 43.74 to keep the Point Fortin athlete off the podium.
On a wet Tokyo track, there was no stopping the 31-year-old Richards from a podium finish this time around and he ran the near-perfect race to clinch his country’s second medal in an entertaining evening session.
Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, who clocked a world-leading time of 43.61 in the semis, showed that was no fluke as he won gold by running a personal best and a new world-leading time of 43.53.
Another Botswana runner, Bayapo Ndori, also finished among the medals as he clocked a season’s best of 44.20 to claim bronze.
Jamaica’s Rusheen McDonald finished just outside of the medals as his 44.28 run placed him fourth.
