TT’s Jereem Richards after winning the men’s 400-metre event at the Spitzen Leichtathletik in Switzerland on July 15. Photo courtesy Tim Tesdorff –
TT’s Jereem Richards after winning the men’s 400-metre event at the Spitzen Leichtathletik in Switzerland on July 15. Photo courtesy Tim Tesdorff –
Trinidad and Tobago ace Jereem Richards returned to winning ways when he earned first place in the men’s 400-metre event at the Spitzen Leichtathletik at the Stadion Allmend, Lucerne, Switzerland on July 15 in 45.11 seconds. The Spitzen Leichtathletik is an annual silver meet on the World Athletics Continental Tour.
Richards was well back of his season’s best time of 44.32, but he would have been pleased to cross the line ahead of the chasing pack after finishing fifth and sixth in Diamond League 200m races on July 5 and 11, respectively.
Running out of lane five, Richards had a relaxed start to the race as the pace was initially set by Jamaica’s Rusheen McDonald, who led around the 200m mark from lane six. Just past the 300m mark, McDonald started to tire, with Hungary’s Patrik Enyingi coming to the fore in lane four.
However, Richards, who narrowly missed a 400m bronze medal at last year’s Olympics, had a decisive finishing pick as he pulled away from Enyingi and McDonald to land the win. McDonald was second in 45.30, with Enyingi third in 45.39. South Africa’s Udeme Okon ran a similar 45.39-clocking as he placed fourth.
Richards posted footage of the race to Instagram and said, “When I should have lost my mind, you showed up right on time. Carried me through valley…all the way to the other side. And when pain tried to take my joy, that’s where I felt you more. Now I gotta testify…God you kept my heart alive.”
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