Botswana Golden Grand Prix is set to witness a clash between Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and America’s Sha’carri Richardson. World Athletics recently released a poster of the two on Twitter reminding the fans what’s in store for April 29th. Though the two female athletes are the leading face of their respective teams, the sports world argues that it’s unfair to put Richardson on the same level as the 19 times 100m gold medalist Shelly-Ann. As the sports community slams the post, Veteran sprinter Michael Johnson has come forward with his own reasons.
However, while setting the records straight for World Athletics, Johnson did not miss the chance to take a dig at Richardson. While Richardson isn’t the greatest sprinter, she arguably is among the most popular female sprinters because of her unique style. Therefore, MJ Gold believes her popularity earned her the spot next to the GOAT sprinter on the poster.
Michael Johnson does not see Sha’carri Richardson as a competitor to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
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Athletics World’s latest tweet has sparked a big controversy in the track world. On 27th March 2023, World Athletics shared a poster featuring Sha’carri Richardson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. The tweet urged fans to look forward to the clash between the two athletes towards the end of April 2023. While the tweet intended to create excitement among the fans, the plan backfired as it wasn’t well received.
As fans condemned the move, 12x gold medalist sprinter Michael Johnson shared his view on the matter. Throwing shade at Richardson while summarizing the ordeal, Johnson wrote, “Here’s the deal: ✅She’s failed to prove herself a great competitor. ✅She’s a media draw when she runs.”
Here’s the deal:
✅She’s failed to prove herself a great competitor.
✅She’s a media draw when she runs.It’s not just about who earned the right through times and wins. It’s also about stories with villains and heroes, loved & despised. https://t.co/iqnoQR9rpD
— Michael Johnson (@MJGold) March 27, 2023
He further explained, “It’s not just about who earned the right through times and wins. It’s also about stories with villains and heroes, loved & despised.” While Johnson thinks it was done to create engagement, upset fans believe the move is disrespectful nonetheless.
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Fans are upset as World Athletics compares Richardson with Fraser-Pryce
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Ever since the tweet went viral, fans have taken to the comments section to express their disappointment. While Fraser-Pryce has clinched 19 gold medals in her pro-career, Richardson has just 1. Hence, many fans are of the view that comparing the two is a massive disrespect for Fraser-Pryce.
The fandom has also pointed out that these two female athletes have raced against each other in the past as well. However, the stats clearly prove that Richardson is no match for the Jamaican Queen.
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Though Johnson has explained the real motive behind the move, do you think fans’ anger is justified?