Sha’Carri Richardson To Miss Fighting for $50,000 As USA Roster Headlined by Gabby Thomas for World Relays

World Athletics’ groundbreaking decision to award Olympic gold medalists in Paris $50,000 each, with relay teams also receiving a share, has sparked considerable excitement and discussion. In a significant development, Sha’Carri Richardson will not be competing for the $50,000 prize at the upcoming World Relays, as the USA roster, led by Gabby Thomas, takes center stage. 

The American track star recently competed at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships. However, the event didn’t unfold as she had hoped, as she fell short of securing a top spot in her events. Sha’Carri Richardson was awarded the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Athlete of the Year for women following her outstanding performances at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year. After this year’s relays, a jubilant Richardson didn’t manage to secure a top spot and appeared quite frustrated. She had been now heavily relied upon for the USA’s chances in Paris.

Sha’Carri Richardson’s absence extends chances for Gabby Thomas

The USATF has announced the women’s squad for the World Athletics Relays 2024, which will take place in Nassau, Bahamas, on May 4 and May 5. Recently, sports director of Social Media Travis Miller shared a message on X, showing the list for the upcoming USA rosters stating, “USATF #WorldRelays women’s 4x100m pool: Celera Barnes, Gabby Thomas, Melissa Jefferson, Mikiah Brisco, Tamara Clark, Tamari Davis.” Gabby Thomas, a silver medalist from the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and 2022 NACAC’s silver medalist Celera Barnes are on the top of the list. Sha’Carri, however, was missing from the list.

After securing a bronze medal in the 200m, and anchoring the women’s 4x100m relay team to a gold medal, Richardson said in her victory speech, “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.” Sha’Carri Richardson’s absence from the USATF World Relays will be keenly felt due to her status as one of the most promising sprinters of her generation on the global stage.

Sha’Carri Richardson: A missing spark at the World Relays

While Sha’Carri Richardson’s absence from the world relay has surprised fans, this isn’t the first time the USATF has ruled her out. She was also missing from the 4×100 meters relay at the Tokyo Olympics 2021. Her last opportunity to participate in the Summer Olympics was extinguished due to a positive marijuana test and a month-long suspension.

After the Tokyo Olympics, she made a remarkable comeback in Budapest, winning her first title at a world track and field championship with a time of 10.65 seconds in 100 meters. While she insisted it wasn’t a comeback but rather an affirmation of her improvement, she confidently stated after the win, “I told you so”. It is now to be seen if Sha’Carri’s exclusion affects the overall performance of the team.