Sha'Carri Richardson shares an inspirational message as she meets Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and other athletes at Nike Event

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Nov 20, 2024 04:07 GMT

American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson recently reunited with her childhood idol and Jamaican sprinting legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at a Nike event on women empowerment. The two athletes were scheduled to compete in the semifinals of women's 100m at the Paris Olympics before Fraser-Pryce withdrew at the last minute.

A few days after meeting Fraser-Pryce at the Nike event, Richardson posted an inspiring message on her Instagram story,

"Win, Lose, Draw. But Always Get Back Up. A True Winner."

Screengrab of Sha'Carri Richardson's Instagram Story [Image Source : Sha'Carri Richardson's Instagram

For the unversed, Richardson attended a promotional event organized by Nike on November 13. The event also included Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from Jamaica, Dina Asher-Smith from Great Britain, and two-time Paralympic gold medalist Sophie Hahn. Richardson uploaded a picture with the athletes on her Instagram story, with the caption,

"Track Queens"

Richardson considers Fraser-Pryce her childhood hero. The two sprinters faced each other for the first time at the 2019 Prefontaine Classic, and that was the only time the American sprinter lost to her Jamaican idol, even though neither of the two won the race.

Since then, Sha'Carri Richardson has clashed with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce six times, with the American sprinter having the upper hand on all six occasions. Richardson was to face her idol for the first time at the Olympics in the semifinals of the women's 100m at the quadrennial event held in Paris. However, Fraser-Pryce withdrew from the semifinals at the last minute.

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Sha'Carri Richardson on overcoming hardships as an athlete

Sha'Carri Richardson at the Paris Olympics 2024 [Image Source : Getty]

Sha'Carri Richardson has made a name for herself in the world of track and field. She won a gold and a silver each in the women's 4x100m relay and the individual 100m final at the Paris Olympics 2024.

However, the journey was far from a cakewalk, and Richardson had to overcome a lot of hardships. Before the Tokyo Olympics, Richardson's career was almost over when she was accused of doping. However, the tests revealed that she had inadvertently taken a dose of cannabis, for which she was handed a year's suspension.

In 2023, Richardson made a remarkable comeback and won the gold medal at the Budapest World Championships. Just after the event, she explained why this victory was important for her.

"Not even just the Jamaicans. I feel like I’ve earned the respect for myself. That’s the biggest thing for me. Not just the world but for Sha’Carri Richardson. I put that respect on me for me," she stated.

Richardson also mentioned that she wanted to let her performance do the talking, especially after the ordeal she endured before the Tokyo Olympics.

“It’s been a lot. I’ve been going through but to overcome all of that and my work speaking for itself. Being so silent this year because I wanted my performance to be all the words that I needed to speak myself. It feels amazing. It feels like everything is paid off,” added the American sprinter.

Sha'Carri Richardson ended the athletic season of 2024 on a slightly disappointing note when she barely avoided a last-place finish at the Wanda Diamond League Finals 2024. She hopes to improve her position in the upcoming season of 2025.