Right before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Sha’Carri Richardson looked forward to making a splash on the world’s biggest stage. But fate had other plans, and she never contested at the Japanese capital. 3 years later, the 24-year-old rightfully claimed a spot on the Paris-bound team, ready to make her much-awaited debut. Even though she didn’t qualify for the 200m event, the sprinter was touted as the favorite in the women’s 100m event.
However, it just wasn’t meant to be. Amid a stacked lineup, the Americans fell prey to a slow start, eventually settling for second place with 10.87 seconds. All her hopes for winning her maiden Olympic gold came to a crashing halt. That was until she returned for the 4x100m relay with Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry, and Gabby Thomas. Running the anchor leg, Richardson led Team USA to a gold medal-worthy victory with 41.78 seconds. Yet only one of them received an incredibly prestigious honor.
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Sha’Carri Richardson ends the season with a bang
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The official Instagram account of Ebony Magazine announced their 2024 #EBONYPower100 Leaders in Sports nominees on November 3. What is Ebony Magazine, you ask? They have been dedicated to telling Black stories since 1945. EBONY aims to lead the conversation and hopes this will inspire their readers to take action. The list includes the who’s who from the sports world who have showcased true leadership through their excellence. Amidst an incredible list of 10 leaders, Sha’Carri Richardson is one of them.
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The blurb on their official website takes readers through a few highs and lows that the sprinter has experienced. But after her gutwrenching experience in 2021, they applaud her for pushing through the adversity and coining her iconic phrase, “I’m not back, I’m better.” After clawing her way back to the top at the 2023 World Championship in Budapest and the Paris Olympics, the 24-year-old received her flowers in Dallas. On September 21, she visited her alma mater and was honored by renaming the track at the Jesse Owens Athletic Complex’s John Kincaide Stadium as the Sha’Carri Richardson Track.
However, these aren’t the only accolades she was nominated for this year. Leading up to the Paris Olympics, Sha’Carri Richardson had catapulted herself into the spotlight with her impressive World Athletic standings. As a result, the Dallas native was nominated for the “Sportswoman of the Year” Award at the upcoming BET Awards 2024 alongside crème de la crème Simone Biles, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, A’ja Wilson, and more.
Sha’Carri Richardson was also nominated for the 25th Laureus World Sports Awards alongside Mikaela Shiffrin and Faith Kipyegon, among others. In fact, Sports Illustrated unveiled its annual Power List. Even though the sprinter wasn’t mentioned in a category in the list, she received a special mention under the LSU Tigers Talent: College Athletes Turned Stars after her dreamy stint at the Paris Games. Yet she has been the only athlete to receive these accolades. But she wasn’t included in one particularly prestigious award this year. What was it?
The Olympian’s compatriot Gabby Thomas received special mention
While the 24-year-old didn’t qualify for the 200m event in the French capital, Gabby Thomas turned heads at the Olympic Trials. The sprinter previously clinched a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games. However, this wasn’t good enough for her. So at Stade de France, the 27-year-old scorched to the finish line in 21.83 seconds.
The Olympic champion had redeemed herself after six long years of hard work and navigating through several adversities. As a result, the athlete was one of the six nominees for the Women’s Track Athlete of the Year by World Athletics. After a thrilling season for track and field, who are the rest of the nominees?
via Reuters
Paris 2024 Olympics – Athletics – Women’s 4 x 100m Relay Round 1 – Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France – August 08, 2024. Sha’carri Richardson of United States celebrates with Gabrielle Thomas of United States after winning heat 1 REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
Here are your athletes for the 2024 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year:
- Olympic 400 hurdles and 4x400m champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
- World indoor 60m champion and Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred
- Olympic 1500m champion and World 1500m record holder Faith Kipyegon
- Olympic 4x100m, 4x400m, and Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas
- Diamond League 400m and Olympic 400m champion Marileidy Paulino
- World 10,000m record holder and Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion Beatrice Chebet
However, the fans get to pick 2 finalists for the last round of voting. And even though Sha’Carri Richardson was snubbed from the list, Gabby Thomas didn’t make it to the final round either. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Julien Alfred will battle it out for the prestigious award, and the winner will be announced on December 1. But what do you think about the sprinter’s mention in the Power100 List?
- Olympic 400 hurdles and 4x400m champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
- World indoor 60m champion and Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred
- Olympic 1500m champion and World 1500m record holder Faith Kipyegon
- Olympic 4x100m, 4x400m, and Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas
- Diamond League 400m and Olympic 400m champion Marileidy Paulino
- World 10,000m record holder and Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion Beatrice Chebet
However, the fans get to pick 2 finalists for the last round of voting. And even though Sha’Carri Richardson was snubbed from the list, Gabby Thomas didn’t make it to the final round either. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Julien Alfred will battle it out for the prestigious award, and the winner will be announced on December 1. But what do you think about the sprinter’s mention in the Power100 List?
- Olympic 400 hurdles and 4x400m champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
- World indoor 60m champion and Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred
- Olympic 1500m champion and World 1500m record holder Faith Kipyegon
- Olympic 4x100m, 4x400m, and Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas
- Diamond League 400m and Olympic 400m champion Marileidy Paulino
- World 10,000m record holder and Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion Beatrice Chebet
However, the fans get to pick 2 finalists for the last round of voting. And even though Sha’Carri Richardson was snubbed from the list, Gabby Thomas didn’t make it to the final round either. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Julien Alfred will battle it out for the prestigious award, and the winner will be announced on December 1. But what do you think about the sprinter’s mention in the Power100 List?
- Olympic 400 hurdles and 4x400m champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
- World indoor 60m champion and Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred
- Olympic 1500m champion and World 1500m record holder Faith Kipyegon
- Olympic 4x100m, 4x400m, and Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas
- Diamond League 400m and Olympic 400m champion Marileidy Paulino
- World 10,000m record holder and Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion Beatrice Chebet
However, the fans get to pick 2 finalists for the last round of voting. And even though Sha’Carri Richardson was snubbed from the list, Gabby Thomas didn’t make it to the final round either. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Julien Alfred will battle it out for the prestigious award, and the winner will be announced on December 1. But what do you think about the sprinter’s mention in the Power100 List?
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Does Sha'Carri Richardson's exclusion from top awards reveal a bias in sports recognition?