There’s something undeniably special about this 31-year-old track and field athlete, the pride of Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago. Known for his versatility across the sprinting spectrum — from the 60m to the 500m— he also took a leap into the 400m. And what a move it turned out to be. In his very first season tackling the full lap, the athlete didn’t just show up — he stunned the world. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he battled his way to the final of the men’s 400m, where he narrowly missed out on a podium finish by just 0.04 seconds. Still, his jaw-dropping time of 43.78 seconds not only set a new Trinidadian national record but also solidified his place among the elite in the event. And now, he’s reminding everyone that his speed in 200m is far from faded.

On May 2, at the Grand Slam Track Miami chapter, Jereem Richards delivered another masterclass — this time in the men’s 200m. In a race that came down to thousandths of a second, Richards clocked a blistering 19.86 seconds, a world-leading time for 2025. Right beside him was Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic, who also stopped the clock at 19.86, setting a national record of his own. But in the photo finish, it was Richards who edged ahead by the slimmest of margins. As if the performance wasn’t remarkable enough, what track and field athlete revealed afterward made it downright unbelievable.

Speaking with Tiara Williams after the race, the Trinidadian sprinter shared the adversity he quietly battled in the lead-up to Miami. “I was very, very sick. A lot of people didn’t know I was sick,” he said. “The sickest I’ve ever been in my life. I had like a flu. Went to the doctor. It wasn’t COVID, it wasn’t the flu. Didn’t have pneumonia, but I was very, very sick. Two weeks before Kingston.”  In Kingston, he managed to finish 3rd in his race group by finishing second in 200m and sixth in 400m. So, is Miami the moment he has been waiting for? Meanwhile, he thanked the Almighty for making him able enough to enter the Miami leg of GST. 

“I’ve been praying for years now, and I know this is going to be the greatest year ever, in the name of Jesus,” the track and field athlete said. However, his answer led to the next question on how he plans to make the ongoing season his greatest. Notably, last week, he ran one of his 100m personal bests. Per him, that performance has boosted his confidence. Explaining that, Richard commented, “It showed me that the speed is there. You know, sometimes as an athlete, when you don’t perform the way you want to perform, you doubt yourself. I had a little bit of doubt. The 100 meters showed me that I had speed.” But what is his performance graph this year? 

The track and field athlete shows his brightest form

Jereem Richards wrapped up his previous season with a strong showing in the men’s 400m at the Golden Gala, where he secured third place in the final. Fast forward to January of this year — Richards launched his 2025 campaign with a victory in the 300m short track at the Jimmy Cares Track and Field Meet. He then moved on to compete in both the 400m and 200m at the Grand Slam Track Kingston leg. While he managed a second-place finish in the 200m, his performance in the 400m fell short of expectations. However, he quickly bounced back at the PURE Athletics Spring Invitational, clocking one of his fastest 100m times ever — a blazing 10.25 seconds.

Given his ability to excel across such a wide range of sprint events — from 100m all the way to 400m — you have to wonder: Is there any track and field athlete else in the sport right now with such remarkable versatility? In a sport where most athletes specialize, Richards is proving he’s a multi-lane marvel — capable of contending whether it’s a bullet start in the 100m or a strategic burn in the 400m. He’s not just versatile; he’s dangerous in every race he enters. After all, this isn’t just a season of personal bests. It’s a season of legacy in the making. Would you like a comparison chart showing how his 2025 marks stack up across events?