The American and Jamaican sprinting battle is still making headlines! Sha’Carri Richardson and Elaine Thompson-Herah are two of the most electric sprinters and both have won the world championships and are raring to prove their mettle once again in the upcoming Olympics. However, apart from their personal accolades, the duo have also clashed several times. Surprisingly, Thompson managed to edge out the current fastest woman on three occasions out of their five outings. But this wasn’t enough for the fans to witness.

Richardson and Thompson met thrice at the Prefontaine Classics earlier. Unfortunately, Richardson failed to capitalize altogether. But she came back strongly by clocking a better time at the 2022 Spitzen Leichtathletik. Soon after this, Richardson doubled the lead over the Jamaican at the 2023 Weltklasse Zurich. With things getting interesting, the two women are slated to clash again at the 2024 Prefontaine Classics. 

Shadows of doubts have been lurking over the two stalwarts as fans have resorted to a new hero: Ta Lou! She recently debuted at the Jamaica Invitational and clocked an impressive 10.91s. In 2023, in Eugene, Ta Lou dominated proceedings to end up second with a time of 10.75s. In the process, she beat the likes of Elaine Thompson-Herah (10.79s), and Sha’Carri Richardson(10.80s), respectively. Thus, it is no wonder that the fans are excited to see her at the Prefontaine Classics. 

Sha’Carri Richardson kicked off her 2024 with a 22.99s 200m second-placed finish at the Xiamen Diamond League. However, her fortunes in Shanghai did not change as Richardson slumped to the third position. Trying her luck at the Florida Relays, the gold again eluded Richardson as her team had to be content with a second-place finish. 

On the other hand, the 2x Olympics 100m women’s champion, Elaine Thompson has struggled with injuries. Her Achilles complications have forced her to withdraw from several big tournaments. However, battling through the pain, Thompson recorded her season’s best time of 10.84s at the Belgium Diamond League.

Fans predict a fresh challenge for Sha’Carri Richardson vs Elaine Thompson

An X account named RoriDunk recently explored the possibilities of the mouth-watering clash between Elaine Thompson and Sha’Carri Richardson. Surprisingly, the post got retweeted with the caption, “Elaine has run + Sha’carri looks bit off…I got my money on Ta Lou 🤷🏾‍♂️”

Referring to Richardson’s recent performances, one track enthusiast has shifted their interest to other sprinters. One user predicts that Marie-Josée Ta Lou or Melissa Jefferson will excel. The fan acknowledges Jefferson’s strong form, having not lost any 100m races this season. “That’s my prediction too or Melissa, Mel is in form right now and I don’t think she’s lost any 100m this season. I want my girl Carri to win but she started this season late and she’s probably in high 10.9 to 11.0 shape,” wrote the fan. But despite Richardson’s slow start, fans expressed hope for her comeback.

One comment read, “It’s USA vs. Jamaica again.” It reflected on the long-standing and intense rivalry between American and Jamaican sprinters in the track and field realm. The stage is set for an upcoming competition where Richardson’s main rival, Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica, is expected to compete. Fabs are anticipating another fierce showdown between sprinters from the USA and Jamaica, echoing past rivalries.

This fan’s comment highlights the depth of talent in women’s sprinting by mentioning US rising sprinter Melissa Jefferson. The comment read, “I Almost forgot about Mel smh 🤦🏾 😭 But she definitely is threat and could sneak the win”. The comment highlighted the fact that despite being less talked about, she remains a formidable competitor who could potentially win races.

“I’m not gonna lie I don’t blame you there’s just something about Ta Lou”, commented another X user. They expressed their support for Ta Lou, noting her appealing qualities. Richardson’s fall in form comes as anticipation builds for a rivalry between Ta Lou and Elaine Thompson-Herah.

A fan’s comment, “Definitely hopefully our girl carri is ready!”, reflected hope for Richardson’s future readiness and success despite her recent setbacks. The comment underscores the emotional investment and support fans have for Richardson amidst fierce competition before the Paris Olympics.

Thus, it is evident that the fans want a new rivalry to begin ahead of Paris. Now, it will be interesting to see if the trio is able to match all the hype or not come the Prefontaine Classics.