Second fastest Jamaican in 400m, runner Akeem Bloomfield announces retirement from professional sprinting - Career highlights of the star athlete

Jamaican track and field athlete Akeem Bloomfield announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 26. Injuries affected Bloomfield’s career on multiple occasions. His last appearance in a track event was at the 2023 Tom Jones Memorial where he clocked 45.52s to finish sixth in the 400m.

Bloomfield’s personal best of 43.94s which he achieved during the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, ranks him 21st in the list of fastest 400m times clocked by a male athlete in the distance. This is also the second fastest score registered by a Jamaican athlete in the 400m event after Rusheen McDonald’s 43.93s which places the latter at 18th rank overall.

With the Jamaican sprinter’s retirement from the sport at such a young age, here's a look at the career highlights of Akeem Bloomfield.

#1 Akeem Bloomfield won two World Athletics Championship silver medals

Bloomfield was a member of Jamaica’s men’s 4x400m relay squad, that bagged the silver medals at the 2022 and 2019 World Athletics Championships. At the event held in Eugene, he ran the first leg to contribute to the team’s performance. Athletes like Nathon Allen, Jevaughn Powell, and Christopher Taylor finished second with a time of 2:58.58.

In the 2019 edition held in Doha, he recorded a timing of 2:57.90, alongside his teammates Allen, Terry Thomas, and Demish Gaye, to clinch the silver medal. His best finish in the individual 400m at the World Championships was also achieved in 2019 where he ran 45.36s to finish eighth in the finals.

#2 Akeem Bloomfield collected a silver medal at the World Athletics Relays

At the 2019 World Athletics Relays, Bloomfield and his team members Demish Gaye, Rusheen McDonald, and Nathon Allen won the silver medal in the men’s 4x400m relay event, clocking a time of 3:01.57, behind Trinidad and Tobago.

#3 Akeem Bloomfield is a three-time CARIFTA Games champion

Bloomfield won 3 gold medals during his participation at the CARIFTA Games, including the 400m gold medal in 2015, defending his 400m title in 2016, and contributing to the team's victory in the 4x400m relay race.

#4 Akeem Bloomfield has won 4 Diamond League legs

Bloomfield has achieved four Diamond League leg wins including the 400m in the British Grand Prix in 2019, 400m and 200m in the London Athletics Meet in 2019 and 2018, and 400m in the Rabat Diamond League in 2018.

#5 Bloomfield is the 400m indoor national record holder

Bloomfield holds the 400m national record, clocking 44.86s, at the 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.