“I don’t care what you say about my hair; I don’t care what y’all say about my outfit; I don’t care about that because at the end of the day I’m going to do what I do, but you’re still going to watch; you’re still going to respect it, and you have no choice but to look,” Sha’Carri Richardson told Blavity TV, and honestly, it’s impossible not to. Whether it’s her fiery sprints on the track or her unapologetic confidence, Sha’Carri has cemented herself as one of the most influential athletes of her generation.

Rocking long nails, bold wigs, and her unique style, she’s brought a fresh flair to track and field while racking up gold medals. Off the track, her outspokenness has earned her a loyal fanbase—and, predictably, some haters. But trolls? They don’t faze her. Sha’Carri Richardson’s focus is on her performance and speaking out for what’s right.

In her interview with Essence, Sha’Carri Richardson opened up about the harsh reality for female athletes in track and field. “I feel like that does a disservice to some of our women athletes—who may not be the biggest names or have the biggest contracts, but they still are people. They still dedicate their lives. They still get out there and show up,” she said, calling out how women in sports are often reduced to how they look instead of how hard they work.

This judgment doesn’t just hurt—it harms the entire sport, distorting the focus from raw talent to superficial standards. Sha’Carri Richardson’ made it clear: we need to recognize the dedication and years of training these athletes pour into their craft, not just their physical appearance. Her comments hit home especially hard in an era where more and more women are finding their voice in sports. With leagues like Athlos creating platforms to celebrate female athletes, the need for change has never been more evident.

Founded by Alexis Ohanian, Athlos is helping to elevate the profiles of female track and field stars by offering significantly higher prize money and all-women’s meets that put women in the spotlight long after the Olympics have ended. As Ohanian put it, “We want to bring that energy… That is what these athletes deserve. This is what helps tell a story to the world that the Olympics are over, but the athletes are here and these are the exact same women running for big dollars.” It’s about more than just pay—it’s about visibility and respect.

But as Sha’Carri Richardson points out, there are still plenty of hurdles to overcome, even with new initiatives pushing for equality. And despite initiatives like Athlos to tackle disparities, female athletes still face a toxic barrage of online trolling. From body-shaming to relentless judgment, the hate is enough to derail even the most focused stars. Many track athletes have endured cruel comments about their weight and appearance, a stark reminder of the challenges they navigate beyond the track.

The dark side of track and field beyond Sha’Carri Richardson’s call for change

While Sha’Carri Richardson’s recent statements about inclusivity are crucial, they also shine a spotlight on the long-standing issues plaguing track and field, especially body shaming. One of the most prominent and painful cases is that of Olympic bronze medalist Holly Bradshaw, who has been a target of body image criticism since her early days in the sport. Even as she competed at the Diamond League, Bradshaw could overhear whispers about how unathletic she appeared, despite her exceptional skills.

The advent of social media only worsened the situation. In 2022, while recovering from an injury, Bradshaw’s pole snapped during a warm-up at the World Championships, and trolls on the internet cruelly suggested her body was to blame. “Someone actually said, ‘You’re so big, you even snapped the pole!'” she recalled in an interview with Olympics.com. That hurtful comment marked just one of many attacks on her image, and despite her success, the damage lingered. “I’m athletic now, but I’m so damaged from that there’s no way I would ever feel comfortable having my stomach out on TV,” she confessed. This painful story is far from unique in the track and field world.

In 2021, six former University of Oregon athletes came forward with disturbing stories about being pressured by coaches and nutritionists to lose weight. These pressures led some of them to develop eating disorders, a toxic environment fueled by unrealistic expectations. “I started worrying a lot about what I was eating,” one athlete told the Oregonian. “I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to get too much bigger of a percentage. That was like a big, big issue. That never had happened before I came to Oregon. I never had any issues with food. I was completely fine. I loved food.”

It’s another troubling example of how female athletes have been subjected to cruel and harmful standards regarding their bodies. But body shaming doesn’t always focus on weight. Sprinter Aleia Hobbs, for example, has faced persistent rumors online questioning her gender due to her athletic prowess. “Oh, my goodness, it’s horrible. Like everybody keeps saying, ‘that’s a tr–s…of course she’s going to win, she’s a man…’I am not, but its ok,” Hobbs said in an interview with Olympics.com.

While she has learned to ignore the comments, it’s hard not to wonder why such scrutiny falls disproportionately on women athletes, especially when they’re dominating their sport. And body shaming isn’t limited to track and field. In 2022, AFLW’s Sarah Perkins found herself criticized for her body shape after missing a match-winning goal.

Though many defended her, the incident reignited debates about the dangers of social media and the troubling normalization of body shaming in sports. Former AFLW player Kane Cornes sparked controversy by dismissing the term “body shaming” in professional sport, suggesting that athletes’ bodies should be part of the conversation as their “weapon.” This oversimplification fails to acknowledge the serious mental health consequences of such scrutiny, particularly for female athletes.

The problem isn’t new. Gymnastics has long been criticized for body shaming, with Olympic medallist Leisel Jones describing the traumatic effects of skinfold tests in her youth. Maddie Groves, another Olympian, has called out the “disgusting open secret” of body shaming in swimming. Similarly, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, known for her confidence and support of teammates, shared how early experiences of body-shaming and racism made her feel unwelcome in the sport and led her to unhealthy relationships with food.

For Chiles, these issues are ongoing. She was “shamed into thinking I wasn’t fit enough and that I should just consume clear-based soups,” she said in an interview with People. While she’s actively working with a sports psychologist to overcome these struggles, the fact that such mental and emotional burdens still exist in elite sports is deeply troubling.

But despite the toxicity and the harm, there’s hope. Influential figures like Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, and Jordan Chiles are speaking out, challenging the norms and pushing for inclusivity. With initiatives like Athlos, founded by Alexis Ohanian to create equal opportunities and visibility for female athletes, the sport is slowly moving toward a more supportive, diverse, and respectful future.

These conversations are long overdue, and though the journey is far from over, the fact that athletes are using their platforms to advocate for change is a positive sign that we’re finally heading in the right direction.