The atmosphere at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme was as exciting as ever! After a tremendous comeback at the Zurich Diamond League, Sha’Carri Richardson returned to the track in Brussels. Fans backed her, hoping to see her claim another victory to her name. But much to their dismay, another slow start crushed that dream. Instead, the sprinter had to settle for an eighth-place finish with 11.23 seconds on the clock. 

Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred sprinted to the finish line, clinching the Diamond League title in a blistering 10.88 seconds. But she also gets a hefty prize for this win – $30,000. Even though Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith finished third today, she’s leading the table with 31 points and will receive $10,000. However, things looked as grim as ever for the American. She is currently placed eighth on the Diamond League table with 16 points. This means the sprinter ends her season in Brussels empty-handed. 

After her thrilling victory at the Zurich Diamond League, Sha’Carri Richardson faced her Olympic rival one last time tonight. But even though she was still riding the waves of that victory, things didn’t work in her favor. Poised as the favorite, her slow start proved to be detrimental yet again. Trailing behind, there wasn’t much the sprinter could do. As Julien Alfred emerged victorious in 10.88 seconds, the 100m Paris Olympics runner-up slowed down before she crossed the line.

But things weren’t as grim for Richardson at the Zurich Diamond League. Gloomy skies and a wet track mimicked the night of the 100m finals at Stade de France. But the sprinter hoped to turn things around. Even though Alfred was quick off the blocks, Richardson found her pace in the final strides, edging the Saint Lucian out for a triumphant win. The 24-year-old clocked 10.84 seconds, while Alfred had to settle for a second-place finish with 10.88 seconds on the clock.

After the race, the American couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “This is probably the funnest race I’ve had all season. I took that time after the Games to come back, regroup and be able to show you guys the Sha’Carri Richardson y’all know,” she gleefully stated. While she will have the chance to redeem herself in the 200m, the sprinter has officially drawn the curtains on the 100m event for this season. What has kept the 24-year-old away from a win?  

Sha’Carri Richardson’s unfortunate case of slow starts

Leading up to the Paris Olympics, the sprinter turned heads at the Hayward Field during the 100m heats. But even though she clinched an easy win in 10.88 seconds, many couldn’t help but notice her stumble past the start line. Addressing the mishap, she stated, “[I] definitely didn’t have the start that I have been training for this moment. But still, not panicking, staying patient. And knowing that no matter what’s going on, to continue to run my race.” But fans have noticed this is a recurring situation for her. 

Sha’Carri Richardson suffered a similar fate at the 100m finals in the French capital, where she had the slowest reaction time of 0.221 seconds. Before her much-anticipated race in Zurich, many fans even pointed out how a sluggish start could potentially rain on her parade. However, her stellar win momentarily silenced all the nay-sayers. But while things worked out for her then, she couldn’t keep the momentum going tonight.