World 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson.
The 100m battles ahead may decide Sha’Carri Richardson’s fate as she faces fierce rivals and off-track controversies.
American sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson is thrust into the storm’s eye — on and off the track — as she advances toward the 2025 World Championships.
A one-time track-and-field prodigy feted by the globe, the 2023 World Champion now struggles against poor form, a gut-wrenching arrest, and a rising wave of fan skepticism.
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The 25-year-old’s performances of late are telling a disturbing story. Richardson has struggled with issues of form since suffering from an injury in February, coming fourth at the Golden Grand Prix in Tokyo (11.47s) and ninth at the Prefontaine Classic (11.19s).
Even her positive 11.07 in the USATF Championships 100m heats was blemished by her disqualification in the 200m. On social media, the furore has been boiling over.
“Let Her Retire,” opined one fan candidly, speaking for many who no longer believe Richardson can return to her world-best form as per Essentially Sports.
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Flash back early in 2024, and Richardson was stumbling along too. She timed 22.99s for second in Xiamen before splitting 23.11s for third in Shanghai/Suzhou.
World 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson.
Then at the 2024 US Trials, the Texas sprinter came storming back in a season best of 21.92s to capture the semifinals of the 200m — no other athlete broke 22 seconds — and won the final of the 100m in 10.71s. That turnaround proved she was more than able to bridge her worst times.
Fans praying for a repeat performance in 2025 might soon have their answer. NBC Sports’ Travis Miller tweeted, “Sha’Carri Richardson announced for a second Diamond League event this month. August 16th – Silesia, August 22nd – Brussels.”
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In both events, she will compete in the 100m against the season’s quickest woman, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden — her training partner.
But the path back is complicated. Richardson’s January arrest — for reportedly fighting with fellow sprinter and 60m world record holder Christian Coleman — has been in the background. Coleman will also be in Silesia for the 100m and in Brussels for the 200m, so it gets even more hot.
“Ever been such a huge fan of someone then see a video that reveals they were actually the kind of person the media had always shown them to be and then not care in the least where they are racing next?” one frustrated fan griped.
A security video at Tacoma International Airport supposedly shows Richardson physically attacking Coleman — grabbing his backpack, pushing him into a wall, and tossing something believed to be headphones.
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The controversy has polarized fans, with some calling for her to step away from the sport entirely. Others insist she needs more competitive “reps” before Worlds.
“Exactly what i’ve been saying and asking for… all these people can continue to make excuses but she needs reps…. like ive been saying ????” another fan commented.
With just 41 days remaining until the World Championships, Richardson is playing a gamble with the consecutive Diamond League events in a bid to regain momentum, confidence, and velocity. As one critic quipped, it’s “Equivalent to cramming the night before the final exam ????♂.”
For Richardson, the next couple of races can make or break not just her season but her legacy — affirming whether she is still the queen of sprinting or cementing the perception that she is done.
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