30 years. For 30 years, Dawn Sowell held the 100m collegiate record, courtesy of her 10.78s-dash in 1989. Then came a 19-year-old, determined to win her maiden NCAA title. And at the 2019 NCAA Championship, she did just that. Sha’Carri Richardson recorded a blistering 10.75s in the 100m event, taking home not just the championship but also the NCAA record for the foreseeable future. Well, that foreseeable future came this close to being just a five-year reign, all thanks to Jacious Sears.

When Sha’Carri Richardson broke the 100m NCAA record and made it her own, she said, “Coming into today, I never gave myself a time because I said, ‘If you give yourself a goal, you limit yourself.’” However, 22-year-old Jacious Sears had a different mindset coming into this year. Duane Ross, the Director of Track and Field at the University of Tennessee, revealed, “We set these goals. She wants to break the collegiate record this year. I think she’ll do that.” Well, at the 2024 Tom Jones Memorial Invitational, Sears came within 0.02s of matching that record.

What makes that 10.77s-dash from April so remarkable is that, if you were to look at the World Athletics rankings, they’ll reveal that Jacious Sears is leading the 2024 charts because of that time. It’s safe to say the track and field realm is witnessing a major tonal shift in forces, and the University of Tennessee senior is at the head of it. As her graph is on the rise – emerging as the new competitor to Sha’Carri Richardson and Elaine Thompson-Herah – these two veterans, in comparison, are lagging.

“As long you expect greatness out of yourself, you will deliver greatness that you think you are able to achieve and even more,” Sha’Carri said after her NCAA Championship victory. While there’s no doubt the 24-year-old has lived by this belief since she first felt it, it just hasn’t clicked for her in 2024 yet. And it’s unusual for the queen of the 100m track to lose her tiara to a younger, feistier version of herself, especially considering Sha’Carri is eyeing a dominating performance at the Paris Olympics.

Richardson recently competed at the Prefontaine Classics, where she clocked 10.83s, her season best. With that time, she’s slotted herself in second on the 2024 charts, right behind Jacious Sears. Although still a newbie, the 22-year-old has considerable accolades under her belt. Her personal best in the 60m is a whopping 7.04s, but that’s not all. She’s left her mark in the 100 and the 200m as well, clocking 10.77s and 22.45s, respectively. With her impressive repertoire set in stone already, it’s no wonder she’s climbing the steep ladder of success.

On the contrary, speaking of not hitting the mark and meeting expectations, Elaine Thompson-Herah is another prime example. Touted as Sah’Carri Richardson’s biggest rival, the Jamaican had a pretty forgettable outing in the Prefontaine Classic, where she made her season debut. As Richardson took gold, Thompson-Herah came home in ninth with an 11.30s time. Considering her 100m personal best stands at 10.54s, this result was quite disappointing. Not just that. As this was her first event, she is currently 126th in the 2024 charts. That said, Thompson-Herah didn’t let this performance affect her too much.

After the race, she took to Instagram to write, “Journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step……2024 first step 3x🥇🥇#grateful#perseverance#faith#believe.” As both Sha’Carri Richardson and Elaine Thompson-Hera continue to fine-tune their sprints as Paris gets closer, it’s important to note that they’re not the only athletes suffering from a dip in form. 

Marie Josee Ta Lou-Smith, another promising talent, is languishing in fifth place on the 2024 charts with a season-best of 10.91s. Meanwhile, several fans have argued that none of the athletes have peaked yet and are saving their best performances for the Olympics. Another interesting fact is that the Jamaican icon Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce hasn’t debuted yet. Her inclusion could very well change the rankings, giving the young Jacious Sears a run for her money. That said, the Paris Games are what everyone is eyeing, and from the looks of it, Richardson isn’t letting anything get in her way this time.

Sha’Carri Richardson’s preparation for the upcoming Paris Olympics 

While it might appear that Sha’Carri Richardson is not in the best of forms, the American is not leaving any stone unturned ahead of Paris. Speaking with NBC, she mentioned her preparations for the Olympics. Reflecting on the same, the 24-year-old stated, “I am training five days out of the week, to the point literally like nine to five in corporate is like my nine to five on the track working out.”

Sha’Carri Richardson will be having her litmus test in the upcoming Diamond League meets going forward as well. With that in mind, she’s making sure not to compromise on her forte. Her Olympic Trials for the 2020 Tokyo Games was one of grand vision, and it remains to be seen if the same performance will be replicated in Paris. In 2021, she qualified for the Olympics with a stellar 10.86s, finishing first ahead of Javianne Oliver by 0.13s. Will history repeat itself yet again?

She also mentioned that every variable of her life is being calculated at the moment. Her diet, exercise, and even her sleep schedule are under extreme scrutiny. Thus, with a few dark clouds hanging over the big guns of track and field, it will be interesting to see how they pull their socks up come the Paris Olympics.