Jereem “The Dream” Richards enjoyed an easy passage into the Men’s 200 metres semis at the World Athletics Championships here in Eugene, Oregon, USA, late yesterday.

Richards produced a 20.35 seconds run to get home first in the second of seven first round heats. Canadian Aaron Brown was a distant second in 20.60.

After press time, last night, Richards’ Trinidad and Tobago teammate Eric Harrison ran in the seventh heat. The semi-final round of the Men’s 200 will be contested from 9.50 tonight (TT time).

Michelle-Lee Ahye has two legal sub-11 clockings to her name this season. Qualification for Sunday’s women’s 100m final would have required another run under 11 seconds for the T&T track star.

Ahye managed an 11.24 seconds effort in the third and final semi-final heat, finishing sixth in the race and 18th overall. There were ten sub-11 runs in the semis, but only eight lanes in the final.

In the championship race, the top seven finishers ran ten-point. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce led the procession in a Championship record 10.67 seconds for her fifth World Championship 100m title. Her team-mates, Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah earned silver and bronze, respectively, in 10.73 and 10.81, for a Jamaican podium sweep.

Seventeen sub-11 100s on Sunday was a clear indication of what is required of female sprinters to be competitive globally. Ahye told the Express she is equal to the task.

“I missed probably two-and-a-half weeks of practice being in Europe, not having my coach there, not being able to train, so I’m just happy to make the semis. I haven’t been training a lot. Hopefully, if not Commonwealth Games, probably at the NACAC Championships or the second half of the pro circuit, I might run another ten-point.”

Ahye is the reigning Commonwealth Games women’s 100m champion. The 2022 edition of the multisport Games will be staged between July 28 and August 8 in Birmingham, England.

“I’m going to get myself ready, make sure I stay healthy, hydrated, and just keep practising. When I get there, I’ll defend my title. It’s going to be hard, but I’m going to go out there and just do my best.”

Following Sunday’s golden run, Fraser-Pryce, who now has ten World Championship gold medals, described her victory as special.

“It’s my fifth World Championship 100 title, and I’m doing it being 35. So many persons believe that when women turn 35, it somehow diminishes our gift, our talent. But I’m able to still line up and compete, and that is very special.

“I’ve been competing with so many other women throughout the years,” the Oregon22 champion continued, “and they’re not competing any more. To be able to still be here shows other women that you can start from anywhere and still experience success, not in your 20s but in your 30s, and it’s still going to be meaningful.”

Jackson was satisfied with her performance in the championship race.

“I’m just grateful to come out here and perform at my best, running a personal best and getting a silver medal.”

Thompson-Herah, the reigning Olympic champion in both the 100 and 200, said the Jamaican medal sweep here in Eugene was particularly pleasing.

“I’m happy to be a part of that 1-2-3. It’s our first time doing that at a World Championships.”