Sha’Carri Richardson has had a mixed bag in the 2024 season. After shrugging off her Tokyo debacle, the US sprint sensation made a thumping entry into the 100m in Paris. Unfortunately, while it was expected that Richardson would breeze through her 200m heat, she failed to make the cut surprisingly. Next up, in the Olympics too, the on-and-off story continued. Heavily touted as the favorite to win the 100m race, Richardson faltered yet again. 

With Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrawing from the race, the entire track world was convinced about the victory of the 24-year-old. But then, a certain Julien Alfred decided to step into Richardson’s story. Running a time of 10.72s, Alfred took the gold in the women’s 100m, dashing Richardson’s hopes. Although Richardson made a comeback, winning gold in the relays, losing out on the 100m triumph dampened the winning spirits significantly. 

However, that was not all. Both Richardson and Alfred once again met in the Diamond League after the Olympics. And once again, things did not go much differently. The St. Lucian emerged victorious, extending her winning streak further on Richardson. The icing on the cake came when Alfred took the coveted Female Athlete of the Year award, officially establishing herself as a sprinting powerhouse. 

Well, all these incidents might seem like a low point for the 24-year-old American. However, in reality, Richardson does not seem to be affected much by the same. Speaking to Essence exclusively, the US track queen reflected on her mental state in present times. And much to her fans’ relief, she did not seem to carry a lot of weightage within herself. “I just feel like everything in my life is brighter now,” she says. “I don’t have any darkness weighing me down, even within myself. I’m just at a different point in my life, where I’m not in survival mode—I’m in a loving energy,” said Richardson.

The 24-year-old further mentioned how she is now more attached to her family and training partners. The Olympian stated, “I love taking care of my family. I love taking care of my training partners. I just love the fact that I’ve been blessed to be in a position to show that divine energy.” Surely, such a fresh mindset will help her significantly to focus on the upcoming season. After all, one of her biggest rivals is gearing up for a huge comeback.

Sha’Carri Richardson braces for new season as Jamaican threat awaits

Sha’Carri Richardson might be taking a brand new guard for the upcoming season. After all, we all would love to watch Richardson conquering the tracks once again. But she might just need to put in some extra effort to excel. That is because one of her archrivals from Jamaica, Shericka Jackson, looks to have recovered from her hamstring injury. Looking to compete in both the 100m and 200m races in Paris, the Jamaican missed out on a chance to go for gold due to her injury.

Now that she has recovered, Jackson is raring to go again. In a recent update, Jackson teased her rivalry with Sha’Carri Richardson and others. Dominating her competition significantly in the video, the Jamaican captioned her post with the emoji of an hourglass. And with the World Championships loading in Tokyo shortly, the heated battle between Richardson and Jackson will surely be a treat to watch for her fans.