“Rely on your knowledge. Do not doubt yourself,” Jackie Joyner-Kersee had said in her speech to graduates of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2023. Jackie herself didn’t when she lost the gold medal in heptathlon in her maiden Olympic games in 1984. That belief eventually made her the first woman ever to win back-to-back gold medals in the heptathlon in 1988 and 1992 games. come 2024, Jackie seems to have found that never-say-die spark in the likes of Sha’Carri Richardson and Sydney McLaughlin Levrone. That made the 4x world champion athlete share her two cents about these new-age sprinters, who are revolutionizing the sport in more than one way.

On July 18th, Jackie Joyner-Kersee caught up with The New York Times to share her thoughts on the current track and field scene. She discussed how the sport has evolved, saying, “What I love is the respect that I see from this generation.” Joyner-Kersee emphasized the importance of allowing today’s athletes to have their moments, adding, “My era was my era. I did what I did, but what can I pass on to you that can help you?”

Her words clearly show her belief that while her time in the spotlight has dimmed, she’s ready to help the next generation so that they grab their moment to shine. She further explained, “With (the) Olympics around the corner, with what Sha’Carri Richardson was able to do becoming world champion, and Sydney (McLaughlin-Levrone) running under 51 seconds in the 400 hurdles, the excitement around women’s athletics (is growing).” We can not agree more, looking at them.

In the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Sha’Carri Richardson was up against legends like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson in the 100m event. The depth of the field was such that eventually six of the nine finalists clocked a time under 11 seconds. But that did not stop Sha’Carri Richardson from attaining what she wanted. She not only won but did that with a championship record of 10.65 seconds. That earned her the title of “fastest woman of 2023” in the 100m.

Sha’Carri Richardson didn’t just shine in the 100m but also made an impact in the 200m. In that event, she clinched a bronze medal with a time of 21.92 seconds. Adding to her accolades, she played a key role in Team USA’s relay squad, which won gold with a championship record of 41.03 seconds, However, her aura was not limited to the tracks.

Richardson’s long, bedazzled nails, natural hair, and striking look reminded many of Flo-Jo. It resonated perfectly with Flo-Jo’s iconic one-legged tracksuits and 6.5-inch acrylic nails adorned with USA or Olympic themes. Looking at that, some publications even branded Sha’Carri “the Flo-Jo of our time.”

On the other hand, Sydney McLaughlin Levrone, poised to make her third Olympics, is making and breaking records left and right. The latest instance of breaking her own world record in the women’s 400-meter hurdles came at the US Olympic trials. She said after breaking the record, “I was not expecting that, but he can do anything. Anything is possible in Christ. So I’m just amazed, baffled, and in shock.”

Here’s an interesting fact: Sydney McLaughlin is coached by Bobby Kersee, who also trained Jackie Joyner-Kersee and has been married to her since 1986. And because of Bobby’s tutelage, Sydney made history by becoming the first woman to run the 400m hurdles in under 51 seconds. And till now, there are only two women who have crossed the finish line under the 51-second mark in the coveted 400MH.

McLaughlin-Levrone herself (pb:50.65) who’s broken it 5 times and Femke Bol, whose personal best is a mere 50.95 seconds. With the Olympics just within a week, it will be a real nail-biter to see if McLaughlin-Levrone can break the 50-second barrier this time. While these groundbreaking achievements have indeed turned attention to the women in track and field, the path was riddled with difficulties. And Jackie herself has been a victim of that.

The winning saga of the women on track and field: Then and now

Women were allowed to participate in the Olympics only from the 1900 games. As their participation kept increasing, negativities also went on the rise. Between the 1980s to 1990s, there was an unfair comparison of women to male counterparts. This also ushered in the era of Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Jackie Joyner Kersee achieved a feat by becoming the woman to surpass 7,000 points in the heptathlon at the 1986 Goodwill Games that stand to date. But the aftermath brought an unwanted situation for her.

When questioned after the victory about how she felt being recognized as the world’s greatest after breaking the world record, Jackie casually replied, “Whatever you want to call me, OK.” Regrettably, her modest response was misunderstood as arrogance. That caused her disappointment and frustration.

Not only Jackie, there were other standout women like Evelyn Ashford, Florence Griffith-Joyner, and Gwen Torrence. Take Flo-Jo, for instance, who set the track on fire with her record-breaking times of 10.49 in the 100m and 21.34 in the 200 m records that are still good enough to make top athletes shiver their timbers away. Despite that, they encountered a whole new set of challenges. They faced s**ism and had their credibility questioned, with some people whispering behind their backs about drug use and whatnot.

But as Jackie says, “Throughout your journey and throughout your life, you’re going to be faced with challenges. Do not be afraid of failure. Through failure, you will learn so much about yourselves. It will set you on the course to reach the goals that you set for yourself.” She herself has practiced what she preached and probably she finds the same in Sha’Carri and Sydney. And why not?

Sha’Carri’s career was thrown into deep uncertainty during the Tokyo Olympics, as she was disqualified for smoking marijuana to get over the grief of the loss of her biological mother. But she bounced back in the 2023 US Nationals, proudly announcing, “I am not back, I am better.” Today she stands as the USA’s brightest hope for a 100m gold after sweeping the trials with her 10.71s run. On the other hand, Sydney has her own rough patch.

Riddled with a knee injury, she missed the 2023 world championships. At the beginning of this season as well, she was not much visible on the tracks, for which she had to face criticism. But she did what she is best known for. Securing her spot at the Paris Olympics, she shut down all that chatter. Looking at that, Rion Olympic gold medalist Dalilah Muhammad could not stop declaring, “She’s been amazing the whole way through. I still think she can go 49 [seconds].”

With their hard work, the women athletes have started to turn the picture around. Nowadays, they are reaping the rewards with better pay and more sponsorships. Case in point – Richardson, with her whopping Nike deal that has been extended until 2030, will see her don their products, on and off the track. Alyson Felix too, with Nike, and after their disband, Saysh. There are many more instances of female athletes shattering glass ceilings.

According to Yahoo Sports, Sha’Carri Richardson’s estimated net worth ranges from $1 million to $5 million, while Sydney McLaughlin’s net worth is around $2 million. Sha’Carri’s impressive roster of endorsements includes deals with Danone’s Oikos, Sprite, Olay, Whoop, Nike Air Max, Google Android, Jacquemus, and Powerade. Similarly, Sydney McLaughlin is also capitalizing on her success with endorsements from Neutrogena, Tag Heuer, WME, and New Balance, further boosting her earnings and visibility in sports and beyond.

Sydney has also published a book titled Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith. In it, she candidly shares her experiences with overcoming obstacles. She also details her personal challenges, including lifelong battles with perfectionism, feelings of inadequacy and anxiety, as well as persistent questions about her identity and whether she was “enough.” With all said Sha’Carri Richardson had an interesting crossover with Jackie last year that she will surely cherish for a long time.

Sha’Carri Richardson’s moment that equated her with Jackie Joyner-Kersee

After winning three medals at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest 2023, Sha’Carri Richardson was named Jackie Joyner-Kersee Athlete of the Year. In her victory speech, she said, “With the God that I serve, everything happens when it’s supposed to happen. So when I stand here today as the world champion, that’s because now was the time for that to happen. Now is the most impactful it would be, the most powerful it would be, and the most sincere it would be.”

She later shared a picture on Instagram of herself hugging Jackie Joyner-Kersee, captioned, “Real recognize real.” But Jackie also had something to say to Sydney McLaughlin. In 2023, Jackie Joyner Kersee offered advice to Sydney McLaughlin Levrone about the significance of having a support system and staying true to one’s happiness in sports without being swayed by others’ expectations.

“It’s very important you be surrounded by people you trust,” mentioned Joyner Kersee. Despite Sydney missing out on the 2023 World Championships, Joyner Kersee stressed that there is still time for her to discover her potential. So, she advised McLaughlin-Levrone, “So I constantly talk with her and just tell her, don’t lose who you are, because yes, the world wants to see you but you have to be happy with what you’re doing.” With the belief entrusted in them by Jackie, it is now their turn to live up to that as they take up the Olympic stage.