Commonwealth Games 200m gold medalist Jereem “The Dream” Richards is a man on a mission. And, according to his sister Brittney Richards-Nelson, that mission is being accomplished.
Richards began his 2022 season with a golden performance in the men’s 400 meters at the IAAF World Indoor Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia.
He stopped the clock in 45.00 seconds to not only set a new championship record, eclipsing the 45.11 set in 2012 by Nery Brenes of Costa Rica, but also set a new national record, erasing the 45.05 set by Deon Lendore.
Richards’ next highlight was a sixth-place finish in the 200m final at the World Athletics Championships last month in Eugene, Oregon. His time was 20.08 seconds.
However, on Saturday he scaled the heights once again to successfully defend his 2022 Commonwealth Games 200m title, setting a new Games record and a new personal best of 19.80 seconds.
Not done yet, he returned on the closing day of the Games on Sunday to join Dwight St Hillaire, Asa Guevara and Machel Cedenio, anchoring Trinidad and Tobago to men’s 4x400m relay gold in three minutes, 01.29 seconds .
Mission in mind
The Express yesterday spoke to Richards-Nelson about her brother’s Commonwealth Games 200m victory and his mission.
She said his season didn’t have the kind of preparation he would have liked because of the disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“There were times he would go back to Trinidad for a few weeks, but he ended up here for a few months. That in itself would have been a challenge because it would have meant he would have interrupted his training schedule and he wouldn’t have had access to a training facility while he was here as all the stadiums were closed,” Richards-Nelson said .
She noted that Richards would train outside on the street and around the house.
“So it was a bit of a challenge, but he had a mission in mind and he would have kept it in his heart. So throughout his activities, although he was not in the usual circumstances, he was still very persistent and determined to ensure that he maintained his physical shape and also ensure that he kept his body ready for whenever the competition would come. resume,” she said.
Asked what Richards’ goals were for last month’s World Championships, Richards-Nelson said he definitely wanted to medal in the 200m but had to settle for sixth.
“He was a bit disappointed about it, but he used it as an opportunity to refuel himself, to refuel his passion so he could do well at the Commonwealth Games. He didn’t look at it like, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t do that well,’ and beat himself up. He really used it as an opportunity to keep pushing and motivating himself,” she said.
Speaking about his goals and attitude going into the Commonwealth Games, she said his goal was definitely to retain his title.
“His attitude is that he will always try to do his best. He will try to control the things that are within his control and will always put his best foot forward. After all, there are some things that would be out of your control, but the only thing you are responsible for is your health, so that’s basically his attitude. He went in there to do his best, to give his best, and that’s what he did,” she added.
Family ties
Asked what the mood was like at home among his family during Saturday’s 200m final, Richards-Nelson told the Express it was a little different this time, but just as exciting as ever.
“Usually we get together and watch the race together, but unfortunately we couldn’t make it this time. Everyone would have seen it separately, but we have a family chat where we communicate regularly, always talking to each other. My mother is not in the country now, but she would have seen it. I watched it with my husband and daughter, while my aunts and uncles also watched it. Everyone was in separate places, but because they were in conversation, it was like we were all together.
“We were very excited. We knew he went into the early rounds and semis very conservative, he didn’t want to push too hard. You know you don’t want to use all your energy in a semi-final or a preliminary round, but you still want to secure a good lane, you still want to come in with a good time. So he would have been a bit conservative and he did a reasonable amount of time on both. I think in both the heats and semi-finals he had the second fastest time with England’s Zharnel Hughes having the fastest time in both.
But when it was time for the finals, now we know he’s going to release this round, so we were really excited to see him. We had no doubt he would save, but then again a race and anything can happen in a race. So while we know he has the ability, we always continue to pray and cover him and ask God to see him through because at the end of the day God has the final say.
“It was so exciting to watch him take it to the finish line. It was just completely amazing. Even though we were apart, we all talked as soon as the race was over, we had it as if it was a party and we were all together.”
Richards-Nelson said Richards’ accomplishments mean a lot to his family and the people of Point Fortin.
“His achievements mean a lot to us, his immediate family, because we know all the challenges he would have faced, all the obstacles he would have faced and endured. For us it is simply amazing to see your relative working hard for something and achieving it.
“It also means a lot to Point Fortin because Point Fortin is a community of immense talent, talent in sports, talent in culture. So he’s just another example of how very talented our community is,” Richards-Nelson said.
