In the history of sports, women are commonly overlooked.
They get paid less, they get less media coverage, and less of the spotlight compared to men’s leagues. I feel that it is important to highlight the key women athletes from around the world to show other female athletes that they too can shine no matter what the circumstances are. The purpose of my column is to bring some attention to the most influential women athletes in the world of sports.
The first person I am going to be talking about is track and field star, Sha’Carri Richardson.
Sha’Carri Richardson first made headlines for her blazing fast times at the U.S. Team Trials in Oregon in 2021. On June 19, she ran a time of 10.72 in the 100m sprint which was a winning time and qualified her for the 2020 Olympics. She was bound to help lead the U.S. Olympic to success in Tokyo. But then tragedy struck. The news broke on July 1 that she failed a drug test by testing positive for Marijuana. USA Track and Field, the governing body of the sport in the US, and the USA anti-doping agency enacted a one-month ban on Richardson starting June 28.
By the time the ban was lifted, it would be just days before the Olympic competition began on July 30. Sha’Carri was technically eligible to compete in the games but was not selected for the Tokyo team. In an interview with NBC, Richardson revealed that she used the THC as a coping mechanism after learning about the passing of her mother through a reporter at the race. While one would expect to feel sympathy regarding the situation, Sha’Carri had none for herself.
Flash forward to today, and Sha’Carri Richardson is once again making headlines in the track and field community. However this time, it’s nothing except her blazing success. In the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Sha’Carri became the world champion in the 100m sprint with a time of 10.65. A little over two years ago, Sha’Carri was left in the aftermath of tragedy facing the news of her mother’s death and her one-month ban from competing. Now she has created a name for herself in the track and field community.
Sha’Carri Richardson is a role model for young athletes all around the world in the sport of Track and Field. The fact that she was able to find success after such tragedy a little over two years ago is remarkable. Sha’Carri is a young 23-year-old but has only brushed the surface of what she is capable of. There are still so many years left in her career, and it will be fascinating to see what else she can accomplish in her next competitions.
