Trinidad and Tobago sprint legend Ato Boldon believes his compatriot Jereem Richards has firmly re-established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Grand Slam Track Series following a commanding performance in Miramar last weekend.
Richards, 31, walked away with the US$100,000 prize after winning the Long Sprints category at the second leg of the series held at the Ansin Sports Complex in Florida. He clocked a world-class 19.86 to win the 200m and returned the following day to finish second in the 400m with a swift 44.32, just behind American Jacory Patterson’s 43.98.
Boldon, a four-time Olympic medallist, expressed admiration for Richards—not just for his form, but for the way the veteran sprinter has carried the torch for Trinidad and Tobago athletics.
“It is no secret that he grew up kind of looking at what I had done and trying to emulate it—that's a great feeling,” said Boldon. “Look, I'm not running anytime soon, so to know that somebody was inspired by me, it's fantastic.”
Richards, who finished fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in a national record 43.78—making him the fastest man in history not to win an Olympic medal—has built a legacy of resilience and consistency. According to Boldon, his rebound in Miramar after struggling with illness in Kingston shows just how dangerous he still is.
“After seeing him give the performance of his life in Paris and having to settle for fourth despite running, you know, the fastest time ever for that place, I would root for him even if he didn't also hail from my country. So I was happy to see him do that,” Boldon said.
“And then to find out that he wasn't well in Kingston and felt really horrible about not being able to perform in the way that he liked... Jereem is going to be a threat for the rest of the Grand Slams. He's made that clear.”
After his victory in Miramar, Richards stated that he often feels “under-rated,” despite his resume, which includes gold at the 2022 World Indoor Championships and back-to-back Commonwealth Games titles in the 200m.
With two more meets remaining in the series and his confidence surging, Richards will be aiming to continue proving the doubters wrong—one race at a time.