Despite Being Unbeaten by Jamaica, Worried Sha?Carri Richardson Gears Up for Last Dance to Crush Diamond League Standings

Sha’Carri Richardson asserted her dominance on the tracks and clinched multiple victories in the 2023 season. First, she stood atop the podium in the World Athletics Championships by clinching the 100m victory and then blazed through the finish line on the tracks of Zurich. Interestingly, ever since she started her sprinting spree in 2023, Richardson has been a force to be reckoned with. First in the Doha Diamond League, then in the Silesia Diamond League, and now in Zurich, the American sprinter made her presence known in the arena.

Following this, it is not only Richardson who made it to the top three in the Diamond League overall standings. The Jamaican sprinting icon, Shericka Jackson clinched the number two spot in the list, as she dominated tracks in the 2023 Diamond league season. More so, Jackson also took home the victory in the 200m heat in both Budapest during World Athletics Championships and on Swiss tracks during the Zurich Diamond league.

Latest standings shift the narrative for Sha’Carri Richardson

A recent post on X, formerly Twitter, by Travis Miller (NBC Sports Director of Social Media) posted the latest Diamond League standings for the women’s 100m with two meets remaining. On the list, Marie-Josee Ta Lou leads the pack with an impressive 32 points. Shericka Jackson stands strong in second place with 26 points. Surprisingly, Richardson currently holds the third position with 24 points.

At first glance, it may seem perplexing that Richardson, who has secured multiple victories over Jackson in head-to-head clashes, finds herself trailing in the standings. However, it is important to note that points are awarded to the top eight athletes at each meeting, with the winner receiving 8 points, the runner-up 7 points, and so forth until 1 point is awarded for eighth place. Points are doubled in the final.

The athlete with the highest points total in each discipline at the end of the season is crowned the Diamond League champion, claiming a prestigious Diamond Trophy and a $30,000 bonus. Richardson is third and Shericka Jackson is second in the Diamond League standings for the women?s 100m event. But there is more than what meets the eye!

Jackson participated in four races, securing a second place in Doha and Silesia, and third in Oslo and London. In contrast, Richardson competed in three qualification meetings in Doha, Silesia, and Zurich. She won all three races.

In total, there were seven rounds (Doha, Florance, Oslo, Lausanne Silesia, London and Zurich). It seems Richardson being behind in the newest standings could be attributed to her participation in fewer events. After all, she outperformed Jackson in all three events she had participated in.

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The on-field rivalry between Richardson and Jackson gets more exciting

During this year’s Diamond League season, USA’s Richardson and Jamaica’s Jackson have been locked in a fierce head-to-head competition. This intense rivalry began in July 2023 when Richardson broke the world record in the 100m event at the US trials, only for Jackson to surpass her at the Jamaican trials just a day later.

Since then, they’ve crossed paths in numerous high-profile races, including the World Championships in Budapest, where Richardson secured the 100m gold, and Jackson claimed the silver. They also faced off in the 200m event, both making it to the final after winning their respective semifinal heats. In the final, Jackson retained her title by clocking in at 21.41 seconds. Remarkably, despite the fierce competition on the track, Richardson and Jackson have displayed respect and sportsmanship toward each other.

With the finals in Eugene on September 16 and 17, the burning question is whether Richardson can stage a comeback and surpass Jackson. The world of athletics eagerly awaits the outcome of this fierce rivalry.

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