Tanasia Allen
Texan track star Sha’Carri Richardson is back and better than ever as she prepares to make her comeback in a race against a triplet of Jamaican Olympic champions. Supporters and critics are waiting with bated breath to see if the 21 year old sprinter, who was deemed the fastest American woman at the Olympic trials, will measure up in this weekend’s competition.
#ShaCarriRichardson took the world by storm when she ran a record 10.64 second 100 meter race at the Olympic trials back in June 2021. This race set her up to be an American favorite that many were hoping would take gold in Tokyo.
All those dreams came to a halt when she tested positive for marijuanna use during the Olympic trials. Sha’Carri’s disqualification caused an insurmountable amount of uproar on social media. Celebrities such as Gabrielle Union, Rihanna, and Drake were all championing to #LetHerRun but to no avail. Because of this positive marijuanna test the hopes of Sha’Carri dominating in Tokyo were dashed and she was forced to stay home while the others raced on.
While Sha’Carri was at home, the Jamaican trio composed of Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson were making history. The three swept gold, silver, and bronze during this year’s Olympic 100 meter race. Thompson-Herah taking gold in both 100 meter and 200 meter made her the first woman in history to win both races at consecutive #Olympics. For Fraser-Price, her silver got her the title of the first athlete ever to win four career Olympic medals in the 100-meter. Now Richardson must face them in the 2021 Prefontaine Classic.
While these accomplishments may be intimidating to some, Sha’Carri is ready for anything that comes her way. Sha’Carri still stands as the 6th fastest woman in history and the 3rd fastest woman of 2021. While she has never raced against current champion Thompson-Herah, she has beat Fraser-Price twice in her career.
To further demonstrate her readiness, Sha’Carri posted a tik tok showing off her new look as she preps for the upcoming race. In the Tik Tok she uses a Nicki Minaj audio that coincides with visuals of Sha’Carri getting her hair done. The audio says “I took a couple, you know, I took some time off to rest and now it’s game time b*tches. You have no idea.”
The video was extremely well received by fans and Sha’Carri took the time out to thank those that have supported her along the way. She says, “The love y’all show me, I’ll never let the hate overshadow that. Positivity is sooo much greater than negativity. That’s why God always wins and the devil fails.”
The race will be this Saturday, August 21st at 4pm. It will be broadcasted on NBC for those of us at home. How excited are you for the upcoming race? Do you think Sha’Carri has what it takes to win? Tell us what you think below.
