 Bloomfield at the 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Jamaican | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 October 1997 Kingston, Jamaica | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Jamaica | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track and field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | Sprinting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Auburn Tigers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal bests | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Akeem Bloomfield (born 11 October 1997) is a Jamaican track and field athlete specializing in sprint events.
Running for Auburn University under coach Henry Rolle, he finished second in the 400 meters at the 2018 NCAA Championships behind Michael Norman of USC. [1] His time of 43.94 ranks #17 on the all-time list, one of only 18 human beings to run the distance under 44 seconds. 15 days later, he signed a professional contract with Puma. [2] Less than a month later, Bloomfield ran 200 meters in 19.81, at the London Anniversary Games. Video on YouTube. Bloomfield had never run under 20 seconds before, so his win was so unexpected, race announcers didn't even announce him as the winner until 20 seconds after the race when his name came up on the results display. That time also ranked him on the top 25 all-time list, joining Michael Johnson and Isaac Makwala as the only men to make both the current 200 and 400 lists.
Earlier in the season, Bloomfield finished second to Norman at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships. Norman set the world record of 44.52 in that race, Bloomfield's 44.86 ranks him at No. 6 on the all-time list and is the Jamaican indoor record.
Bloomfield had previously run for Kingston College. At the 2015 Jamaican National Championships, Bloomfield set the Jamaican Junior Record for 400 meters at 44.93. [3]
Information from World Athletics profile or Track & Field Results Reporting System unless otherwise noted. [4] [5]
| Event | Time | Competition | Venue | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 m | 19.81 | Müller Anniversary Games | London, England | 22 July 2018 | +0.1 m/s wind |
| 400 m | 43.94 | NCAA Division I Championships | Eugene, Oregon, U.S. | 13 July 2018 | |
| 400 m indoor | 44.86 | NCAA Division I Indoor Championships | College Station, Texas, U.S. | 10 March 2018 | Indoor NR |
| 4×400 m relay | 2:57.90 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 6 October 2019 | |
| 4×400 m relay indoor | 3:05.30 | NCAA Division I Indoor Championships | College Station, Texas, U.S. | 10 March 2018 |
| Year | Championship | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Jamaica | |||||
| 2015 | CARIFTA Games (U20) | Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1st | 400 m | 45.85 |
| 2016 | CARIFTA Games (U20) | St. George's, Grenada | 1st | 400 m | 46.01 |
| 1st | 4×400 m relay | 3:10.55 | |||
| 2019 | World Relays | Yokohama, Japan | 2nd | 4×400 m relay | 3:01.57 |
| World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 8th | 400 m | 45.36 | |
| 2nd | 4×400 m relay | 2:57.90 | |||
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, United States | 26th (h) | 200 m | 20.56 |
The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and race in separate lanes for the entire course. In many countries, athletes previously competed in the 440-yard dash (402.336 m)—which is a quarter of a mile and was referred to as the 'quarter-mile'—instead of the 400 m (437.445 yards), though this distance is now obsolete.
The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first recorded event at the ancient Olympic Games. The 200 m places more emphasis on speed endurance than shorter sprint distances as athletes predominantly rely on anaerobic energy system during the 200 m sprint. Similarly to other sprint distances, the 200 m begins from the starting blocks. When the sprinters adopt the 'set' position in the blocks they are able to adopt a more efficient starting posture and isometrically preload their muscles. This enables them to stride forwards more powerfully when the race begins and start faster.
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