In 10 seconds 65s, a canon time, a championship record, Richardson ended the Jamaican dominance and pushed veteran Sherika Jackson and Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce to the other podium spots.
The young American (23), who won a maiden international title for her first major championship, leads the way not only on the track but also in the confrontation, strongly indicating that the “haters” motivate her as much as that those close to him.
These “haters” are especially those who reprimanded her after a positive cannabis test in 2021 that denied her the Tokyo Olympics when she was on the rise.
different treatment
“You should never give up,” he told a news conference, where he raised the summit several times to attract the attention of reporters.
She reiterated, “You must not allow the media or others to define you. I want to say that you have to fight, always fight.”
In 2021, she apologized and revealed that she smoked marijuana after learning of her biological mother’s death. He was supported by celebrities such as footballer Megan Rapinoe, basketball player Chris Paul or the President of the United States Joe Biden.
The Texan then complained of different treatment compared to young Russian skater Kamila Valiva, who appeared at the Beijing Winter Games in early 2022 despite testing positive for a banned substance (trimetazidine), because of the difference in her skin colour.
He wrote on Twitter in February 2022, “Can we have a reliable answer on the difference (between the two positions), which turned out to be X. All I see is that I am a young black woman.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) replied bluntly that the two cases had “nothing to do”.
“unique personality”
An adherent of shocking phrases early in her career, the flamboyant sprinter with colorful braids and endless lashes and nails had transitioned into complete media silence in 2023 until her victory on Monday.
An admirer of his late compatriot Florence Griffith-Joyner, the controversial world record holder in the 100 and 200 meters (10.49 and 21.34 in 1988), Richardson trains in Florida with Justin Gatlin’s ex-mentor Dennis Mitchell. The star of American sprint, he has tested positive several times in his career and after becoming a coach, was caught on a hidden camera where he claimed to be able to supply banned products.
Richardson’s attitude on Instagram (2.5 million subscribers) has earned him many critics as well as staunch supporters, such as American legend Michael Johnson, multiple Olympic champion in the 200 and 400 meters and BBC’s star advisor.
He said, “It’s great for the sport because it has a unique, authentic personality. This is what the sport needs in order to attract people outside the realm of athletic fans.”
“You can love him, as is the case with thousands of fans, or reject him, as undoubtedly is the case with some,” said Piotr Malachowski, a former athlete turned sports director of the Chorzow meeting. “Sha’Carrie doesn’t leave anyone indifferent, it’s one thing or the other. He is known to be a controversial figure. In today’s sports market, that has value.”
“dark thoughts”
She derives strength and weakness from a difficult childhood spent with her grandmother and aunt, abandoned by her mother. “My family put me on the right track,” she explains in a video posted this year, regretting the absence of “a relationship with (her) mother” while growing up.
“It hurt me. She should have been everything for me, but she was absent, I was thinking: + Why am I here? +”
“It got me into some really bad thoughts. In high school, I attempted suicide.”
In 2022, Richardson had split from his girlfriend, Jamaican sprinter Janique Brown, after going public with their relationship as “toxic”, according to the two young women’s confessions. The two exiles then accused each other of “physical, moral and verbal” harassment.
At his worst at the time, the American had shown himself to be very underwhelming on the track, completely missing his season and selection for the World Championships in Eugene (Oregon, United States), which was the national center of American athletics. There was a great celebration and victory.
Enough to push back his coronation by just a year.