LAUSANNE, Switzerland – T&T quarter-miler Jereem Richards is one of 11 athletes that earned wild card entries to next year’s World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

Richards, 29, the T&T Sport Personality-of-the-Year for 2022, ran a season’s best time of 45.84 to win the men’s 400 metres at the Millrose Games on February 11 in New York City to earn the spot in the global event.

“After the final gold level meeting of the 2023 World Athletics Indoor Tour brought the series to a close for another year in Birmingham last weekend, 11 athletes have booked their place at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24, which will begin exactly one year from today,” a news release on the World Athletics website stated.

“This means that several national teams for the global event in Glasgow, taking place from March 1 to 3, will have the advantage of a third team member in certain disciplines.”

Usually, team selection for the World Indoor Championships is capped at two athletes for each nation in each discipline, but these wild card places will enable the countries to field a third athlete.

“The final decision on entering any individual athlete for the World Indoor Championships, as always, rests with the athlete’s national federation,” the news release added.

On the women’s side, Aleia Hobbs of the United States in the 60 metres dash, Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain in the 800, Lemlem Hailu of Ethiopia in the 3 000 and 5 000, as well as Canadian pole vaulter Alysha Newman, Cuban triple jumper Liadagmis Povea, and Canada shot putter Sarah Mitton have earned the wildcard entry.

The other men making it through are Neil Gourley of Great Britain in the 1 500 and sprint hurdler Grant Holloway of the United States, along with New Zealand high jumper Hamish Kerr and Swedish long jumper Thobias Montler. CMC