Melissa Jefferson Defends Sha’Carri Richardson as America Fumes Over Paris Olympics Start: “Always Have Their Back”

Sha’Carri Richardson had a silver lining at the Paris Olympics but despite the rain pouring down at the Stade de France, America’s 28-year-old gold medal drought still stood! Julien Alfred splashed her way to victory in the 100 meters with a dazzling 10.72 seconds, securing Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medal. The USA’s Melissa Jefferson completed the podium and snagged bronze with a 10.92-second finish. Alfred’s explosive start and rain-soaked sprint put her 0.15 seconds ahead of Richardson, marking the widest margin in the women’s Olympic 100-meters since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce led a Jamaican sweep.

But before the social media storm could erupt, Richardson’s training partner, Melissa Jefferson, quickly shut down any negativity. In a post on X by Chris Chavez, Jefferson, praised her teammates, Richardson and TeeTee Terry, saying, “Those are my girls, my sisters, and at the end of the day, I told them that no matter what happens, I always have their back and I know they have mine. We all just wanted to come out here and put on our best show and I feel like for the most part we did that.” But what went sideways for Sha’Carri Richardson?

🇺🇸 Here’s what Melissa Jefferson (@Melissajanae21) had to say after earning a bronze medal in the women’s 100 meters. Her training partners Sha’Carri Richardson (silver medalist) and TeeTee Terry all made the 100m final.

🗣️ “Those are my girls, my sisters, and at the end of the… pic.twitter.com/1PU12QG2uW

Richardson had a rough day right from the start. First, security played a mood spoiler by denying her and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce entry at the gates. Then there was the rain, and nerves were already frayed. But the hype before the race was off the charts for Sha’Carri to snag gold for America after nearly 28 years when “Mommy Rocket,” Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, unexpectedly pulled out of the semifinal just 90 minutes before the final, taking the entire Jamaican team—who had swept the Tokyo podium—out of the 100m!

Still, with all eyes on her, the pressure was palpable for the 2023 World Champion. Richardson stumbled out of the blocks and was last early on, while Tina Clayton of Jamaica shot off the line like a rocket. Within 30 meters, Julien Alfred was already in the lead and slipping away. As Alfred roared through the finish line in triumph, it was clear that Richardson’s chances had slipped away faster than she could recover. And yes, the track and field community was quick to take note of the drama!

Sha’Carri Richardson’s rough start at the Paris Olympics was criticized as the end of her gold medal dreams by track and field fans!

Fans took to X to voice their frustrations about Sha’Carri Richardson’s start. One fan didn’t hold back, saying, “Sha’Carri Richardson’s start is abysmal,” pointing out the major headway she lost right at the blocks. Another fan noted, “Sha’Carri Richardson 🥹 you ran way better times, another bad start,” highlighting that despite holding the 2024 world lead with a blazing 10.71 from the US Olympic trials, she couldn’t quite catch Julien Alfred’s 10.72 Olympic-winning time.

Yet another fan weighed in, “Sha’Carri Richardson gotta work on her slow start. It always looks like she’s playing catch-up in these races. If she can fix that, I think she’ll be in a better position for gold in other competitions #OlympicGames.” This echoed sentiments from the US Olympic trials, where Richardson’s stumbling start still saw her win the first semifinal in 10.86 seconds and her heat in Round 1 in 10.88 seconds.

As one fan pointed out, “Again, if Sha’Carri Richardson can get her start down, the outcome of this race may have been different. This was not Sha’Carri’s best time.” As we reflect on these comments and the surprising turn of events at the Paris Olympics, what are your thoughts on Sha’Carri Richardson’s starts and her silver medal performance? Share your thoughts in the comments below!