Sha’Carri Richardson was the favorite to grab the 100m gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics, but Julien Alfred, with her 10.72 seconds, blazed past the American. She had to settle for the silver medal. Eager to bounce back, she entered the Diamond League meet in Zurich with just one thing in mind: the gold. In a reverse of the Olympic final placings, Richardson walked away with the gold (10.84 seconds), whereas Alfred’s 10.88s placed her second.

So expectations were high from SCR in Brussels, but the way it turned out would leave any fan in tears. She clocked in 11.23 seconds, which was the slowest 100-meter time she has recorded this year. While she ended the race eighth, Alfred came first yet again. That was indeed a very tough moment for Richardson. A slow start—something that the athlete has been working on for a while—ruined her chances of a better outcome.

However, just weeks later, she has found support. Sha’Carri Richardson received some uplifting words from Gail Devers, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, who attended the Athlos event in New York on September 26. Even though Richardson wasn’t the part of race, she was still very much in the spotlight.

As reported by Athlos on YouTube, Devers stood up for her, saying, “Sha’Carri came in second, so we’re looking forward and I think everything happens for a reason. And I say the reason she didn’t get it is that it’s supposed to come back in American soil in 2028 so it will be 32 years, and who knows who’s gonna be there. I think it doesn’t come easy, and it’s a target on your back once you get there. But it’s just about trusting and believing.”

The last American woman to win an Olympic gold in the 100 meters was Gail Devers at the 1996 Atlanta Games. She also won it in Barcelona (1992). So, if Sha’Carri Richardson can claim victory in the 100m at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, it will mark 32 years since an American woman last brought home the gold in this event.

Devers’ encouragement really emphasized how important resilience is in sports. However, Sha’Carri Richardson is 24 now, and by the next Olympics in LA, she will be 28. And Gail Devers who retired 17 years ago will be there cheering for her.

When the host further asked, “Were you impressed with her performance?” Gail Devers fired back with a powerful response, “Oh absolutely, I’m always impressed with her everybody has a story and her story is one of resilience. When the chips are down, she finds a way to come back. She has support, and that’s what this meet is about- women bonding together, supporting each other. To be there for each other and to make it happen.”

Her enthusiasm perfectly captured the spirit of empowerment, especially considering what Sha’Carri Richardson has been through. Richardson’s appearance at the Paris Summer Olympics marked the end of a tough three-year journey that began before the Tokyo Games, where she faced a setback after testing positive for cannabis, a banned substance according to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules. However, her journey to the Paris Olympics wasn’t easy.

Sha’Carri Richardson, after her impressive 100m run, could have secured one more victory. But she hit a bump in the road during the 200m at the U.S. Olympic trials, where she finished fourth and missed out on qualifying for the Paris Olympics. She started strong, but as the race hit the final stretch, Gabby Thomas surged ahead to win with a time of 21.81 seconds, followed by Brittany Brown and McKenzie Long. Richardson clocked in at 22.16 seconds.

To make matters worse, she was even denied entry to the Stade de France during the 2024 Paris Olympics. When Sha’Carri Richardson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce showed up at the Stade de France for their 100m semifinal and final heats, they were turned away at the warm-up area and told to use a different entrance, losing valuable time due to a last-minute rule change they didn’t know about. Through it all, though, the support for Gail Devers has stayed strong.

Gail Devers’ insights on Sha’Carri Richardson’s Olympic journey

Before the Paris Olympics 100m race, Gail Devers was asked by Sports Illustrated about her thoughts on Sha’Carri Richardson and whether she could join the ranks of Olympic 100-meter legends. She replied, “It’s hard to pick. Let’s go back to trials and see who made the team. First of all, they’re young. It’s their first Olympic games. That makes you hungry. And the three that made the team [Richardson, Melissa Jefferson, and Twanisha Terry] are from the same camp.”

“They have the same coach [Dennis Mitchell]. Now, it’s show-out time. If you watch Sha’Carri, all of them, practice, they all show up. She’s certainly capable. Now, it’s forget about those five rings. It’s the same thing we do every day, on the track—execute what you’ve been taught.” 

While Richardson may not have secured gold in Paris this year, winning silver is an impressive achievement. Her fans can only hope for Richardson to be the first American woman since Gail Devers to be crowned Olympic 100m champion at LA28! However, this will not be easy. The sprinter will have to address some of her technical weak points like consistency issues and slow starts.

We have seen time and again that despite bad starts, Richardson has been able to cover the distance, but in Brussels, it just wasn’t possible. So working on better starts in addition to her blazing speed will give her an edge. What do you think?