T&T’S JEREEM RICHARDS CLOCKS 44.23 TO TAKE THIRD IN WORLD ATHLETICS ULTIMATE CHAMPIONSHIP 400M
Jereem Richards secured a third-place finish for Trinidad and Tobago in the men’s 400 metres at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday, September 12. His time of 44.23 seconds earned him a US$40,000 prize.
Botswana’s Collen Kebinatshipi won in a national-record 43.39 seconds, while American Rai Benjamin finished second in 44.15.
Richards was just eight hundredths of a second behind Benjamin in a close contest for the places behind the winner. He finished four hundredths ahead of American Chris Bailey, who clocked 44.27, and five hundredths ahead of Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith, fifth in 44.28.
The T&T sprinter improved on his semifinal performance, where he ran 44.44 to take fourth in his heat and qualify. He went 0.21 seconds faster in the final to secure his place among the top three.
The new championship brings elite athletes together for three days of competition, with a US$10 million prize pool and US$150,000 for individual event winners.
For Richards, the Budapest result combines a strong international placing in national colours with a significant financial reward.
