Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards, the 2022 World Indoor 400m champion, has opted to skip the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, to focus on the outdoor season, particularly the inaugural Grand Slam Track Series (GST) and the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in September.

Richards, who stormed to gold in the 400m at the 2022 World Indoors in Belgrade, decided after careful consultation with his team, citing the demands of an extended competitive calendar and the need to manage his workload as a seasoned athlete.

"With the Grand Slam and all the meets it has this year, and with the [World] Championship being late, I feel like it makes more sense to just focus on the outdoor season," said Richards. "Had I gone to World Indoors, I would have left yesterday (Sunday), not get back till the 26th, and then I’d have to turn around and get ready to run in Grand Slam at the beginning of April."

At 31 years old, Richards is conscious of preserving his peak condition for what promises to be a gruelling season. The Trinidadian star clocked a lifetime best of 43.78 seconds at the Paris Olympics last year, finishing fifth in the 400m final—a performance that solidified his place among the world's elite quarter-milers.

The Grand Slam Track Series, an ambitious four-meet circuit, kicks off in Jamaica in early April and features two races for each athlete per meet, increasing the physical and mental demands on competitors. With no Diamond League final at the end of the season, the World Championships in Tokyo will be the year’s pinnacle event.

"This is the first year that the World Championships is the last event of the year. There's no Diamond League final at the end of the year. So I just kind of being smart and protective," Richards explained.

In his absence, Trinidad and Tobago will field a two-athlete team comprised of veteran sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye and Tyra Gittens-Spotsville to hunt for medals in Nanjing, China.