Sha’Carri Richardson has won big in her first race in over two months. On Tuesday (Aug. 30), the 22-year-old defeated Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica during the 100 meters at a World Athletics Continental Tour silver meet in Lucerne, Switzerland.
The sprinter won in 11.29 seconds over Thompson-Herah (11.30). For most of the race, Richardson barely held off Olympic gold medalist who was placed in an adjacent lane. It was Richardson’s first victory over Thompson-Herah since losing at the Eugene Prefontaine Classic in 2021 and 2022.
During her last race, Richardson failed to qualify for the 200-meter final and lost her chance at qualifying for the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships. After her loss, she criticized the media and journalists for not treating athletes more respectfully. “I’m coming to speak, not just on my behalf but on all athletes’ behalves, that when you guys do interviews, y’all should respect athletes more,” she said. “Y’all should understand whether they’re coming from winning, whether they’re losing, whatever the case may be. Athletes deserve way more respect than when y’all just come and throw cameras into their faces.”
Earlier this year, she called out Olympic and anti-doping officials after Russian skater Kamila Valieva was allowed to compete despite testing positive for a banned drug. She took to her Twitter account to ask about the difference between Valieva and herself. “Can we get a solid answer on the difference between their situations?” Richardson tweeted. “The only difference I see is I’m a young Black lady,” Richardson said. “It’s all in the skin,” she added.
Last year, Richardson made international headlines when she was banned from participating in the Tokyo Olympics for Team USA after testing positive for marijuana use. She was given a 30-day ban.
On Friday (Sept. 2), Richardson will be racing in the 100m at the Memorial Van Damme Diamond League meeting in Brussels, where she will face off against world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.