“Respect Athletes More”: Sha’Carri Richardson Addressing a Concerning Issue Re-Appears Amidst Unfair Athlete Pay for Paris Olympics 2024

Sha’Carri Richardson has seemingly been angered by the media. The American track star appeared at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite turn out in the manner that she would have liked them to. She failed to clinch a top spot and looked quite frustrated while she faced the reporters. Well, her frustration would make sense as Richardson is being heavily counted on for the USA’s chances in Paris. 

Running in the 200m category, Richardson finished fifth, clocking a time of 22.47s. The tension on her face was palpable as she stormed out of the media area almost instantly. However, before walking away, Richardson had a word of advice for her media friends. And it was surely not something very pleasant. 

Sha’Carri Richardson on respecting athletes’ emotions

While Sha’Carri Richardson’s performance at the outdoor championships was unexpected, the media waiting to bombard her with questions was pretty much expected. Richardson sensed the same and addressed the issue right away. Speaking on behalf of all the athletes, the 24-year-old demanded respect from the media. Reiterating the point, Richardson said, “y’all can all take this interview and do whatever you want to do with it. I’m coming to speak, not only just on my behalf but on all athletes’ behalf, that when you guys do interviews, y’all should respect athletes more.” 

Going on with her outburst, the American track sensation further asked them to understand the emotions of an athlete. What she implied was the fact that the media must be sensible enough not to ask too many questions to someone who is coming off a heartbreaking loss. She also lashed out accusing the media of always wanting to make money from the interview with the athletes. 

However, even after her disappointing performance, Sha’Carri Richardson looked confident for a comeback. Vowing to “bring some Texas drip”, the 24-year-old assured fans to take the Diamond League by storm. However, amidst the chaos, another controversy is brewing about the athletes’ pay in Paris. 

Imbalance in payment runs riot ahead of Paris

It is a known fact that the athletes competing at the Olympics do not get paid. Although the podium holders do get a token amount, oftentimes it is not enough to sustain a steady living with the money. In a recent shocking revelation by Sportico, Simone Biles was found to be performing without any salary. While she is one of the richest athletes, all of her earnings are generated from sponsorships. 

Thus, to address the issue, World Athletics announced a bonus of $50000 for all the gold medal winners in Paris. However, such a variable poses an imbalance as medal winners from other disciplines will not be earning the monetary rewards. Thus, with the situation getting complicated, it will be interesting to see how things pan out.