Netflix released the documentary SPRINT to offer fans a glimpse behind the scenes of the sprinting world, and it quickly gained traction, amassing 2.4 million views in its first week. However, it wasn’t without controversy. Some fans were disappointed, criticizing the documentary for focusing on a limited group of athletes. Instead of offering a broader view of track stars and their lives, the show primarily spotlighted athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson and Marcell Jacobs.

Additionally, Noah Lyles received considerable screen time, but his brash demeanor left many viewers feeling he came across as unlikable, making the documentary less enjoyable for some. The backlash wasn’t limited to the audience either, as track star Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith has now voiced her disapproval of the show.

Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, the African record holder of the female 100m, opened up about feeling disrespected by the show after being snubbed from it in favor of athletes who win more. She said, “I feel really disrespected because when you say you’re going to do a series about fast people in the world. I mean, you show every person. You don’t show only people who win.”

The athlete went on to say that track is more than just winning. The struggle that the athletes go through to make their dream of winning possible also means a lot. She also hinted at the fact that the camera crew of the show followed numerous other athletes, including her, but edited them out because they didn’t win, which irked her. “It’s also about people overcoming different situations, good or bad. So, if you want to show the real life of track and field, show everything, not leave anything. You don’t follow people; you record them for many hours every time to just show the people who just win. This is not good,” she said.

Lou-Smith also acknowledged the fact that people consider her a role model in Africa. She demonstrated that, despite initially losing most of her races, her dedication and sacrifices eventually led her to victory.

Fans back Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith’s comments on Netflix’s track and field show

Marie-Josee Ta Lou Smith received a lot of support for her statement. One fan said, “She is 100% correct. That reality-TV show should have been called ‘The Life of Noah, Sha’Carri, and Marcel’. Everyone else wasn’t important enough.” The distribution of screen time for Noah Lyles, Marcel Jacobs, and Sha’Carri Richardson is causing a lot of controversy. In fact, at least two of the episodes were spent mostly on Lyles himself. He received significant screen time in the last episode, where he won the double at the World Championship. Another user mentioned that the show focused mainly on American athletes and didn’t provide a worldwide perspective.

They also talked about how the show’s upcoming second season, which covered the Paris Olympics, might be ruined. This is because Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson faced defeats from Letsile Tebogo and Julian Alfred. A user said, “I totally agree with Ta Lou. I saw the first episodes, but it is such a horrible series that I stopped watching it. It doesn’t have the spirit of sport, only American winners matter. Surely, Alfred and Tebogo in Paris ruined the second part for them.” Another fan talked about the same thing about athletes not living up to their massive hype. “Lets just suppose that SHACARRI DOES NOT LIVE UP TO THE HYPE, THAT IS GENERATED AROUND HER ? WHAT NEXT ?”

A fan talked about how athletes should start documenting their own journey through public platforms instead of relying on Netflix. “If Netflix won’t document your story, document it yourself.” Another said that they realised this was not a clear picture of track and field and saw right through it. “We love Ta Lou 🇿🇦 Sc–w Netflix. Real athletics fans could see right through it from the beginning.” Most agree with Lou-Smith’s comments. It’ll be interesting to see if opinions change or if the show’s viewership drops in the second season.