Michael Johnson has praised Sha’Carri Richardson for her authenticity. [PC: Getty Images]

"We don’t want fake anymore" - Michael Johnson praises Sha'Carri Richardson's authenticity ahead of Paris Olympics 2024

Modified Jul 26, 2024 15:25 GMT

Michael Johnson praised Sha'Carri Richardson for her authenticity, stating that she stays true to herself even when it goes against society's expectations.

As a freshman at Louisiana State University, Richardson made headlines in 2019 when she recorded a time of 10.75 seconds in the 100m to break the collegiate record at the NCAA Division I Championships. She dominated almost every event she took part in.

In April 2021, Richardson registered a personal best of 10.72 seconds, making her (at the time) the sixth-fastest woman of all time. She later won the women's 100-meter dash with a 10.86 seconds effort in the United States Olympic Trials to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The Texas native, however, could not take part in the quadrennial event as she tested positive for marijuana, which she had used to deal with the death of her mother. Having served her suspension, she is all set to make her Games debut in Paris this year.

Ahead of the grand event, four-time Olympic gold medalist Johnson praised Richardson for being very unique and "authentic" in a world where everyone conforms to societal norms.

"The thing with Sha’Carri is her purpose, talent and personality make her very interesting to watch. She is obviously very fast but she is also a unique figure and very authentic. She is out there and can be abrasive, but she can be very charming too," Johnson said (via The Times).

"Whatever part of her personality comes out, she is true to herself in a very raw way rather than producing what society has wanted from its icons in the past. In years gone by people wanted athletes to act a certain way, but she does it her way. She is a reflection of where society is heading. We crave authenticity and we don’t want fake anymore," he added.

Michael Johnson: "I don’t see anybody getting close to Sha'Carri Richardson"

Sha'Carri Richardson will make her Olympic debut in Paris - Getty Images

Michael Johnson believes that Sha’Carri Richardson could go unchallenged at the Paris Olympics. He also said that the only person who could Richardson a run for her money would be Shericka Jackson, but only if she recovers in time for the Games.

Jackson has had a difficult season so far, with disappointing form and unfortunate injuries preventing her from showing her best on the track. Recently at the 14th Gyulai Istvan Memorial World Continental Gold meet in Hungary, she appeared to suffer a muscle problem and stopped just minutes before the finish line.

Though she walked off the track unassisted, there are doubts about her fitness heading into the year's most important event.

American retired sprinter Johnson has opined that if Jackson does not recover in time, there isn't anyone else who could properly challenge Richardson.

"If she performs at her best, I don’t see anybody getting close to her unless Shericka Jackson can recover quick enough to get back to her best, then we’ll have a real rivalry," he said (via The Times).

Jackson's fitness remains a big concern for Jamaica and there hasn't yet been any official word on how she is doing.