Source: Jonathan Ferrey / Getty
After being banned from the Tokyo Olympics for a failed marijuana test, American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson came to this weekend’s Prefontaine Classic ready to give track fans the performance they missed this summer. Richardson lined up against eight other runners, including Olympic gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah from Jamaica, and she was set to show off her speed to the world. But unfortunately, the result was not what Richardson or the world predicted. Richardson failed to place among the top five; in fact, she came dead last.
With a time of 10.54s, Thompson-Herah won the race and claimed the title of the world’s second-fastest woman ever in the 100m-dash (after Florence Griffith-Joyner’s record of 10.49s in 1988). Thompson-Herah’s compatriots Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson took the other two top spots, and the three Jamaican ladies gave the crowd a repeat of their performance at Tokyo’s 100m-dash.
Richardson’s showing underwhelmed, and social media was divided in its treatment of her. Some Twitterers felt it was overdue comeuppance for the proud Texan, although she has been only supportive of her Black sisters from the start. Others acknowledged that the scrutiny over the Olympics fallout played a role, highlighting that Richardson took up toking but only as a way to cope with her mother’s death prior to the trials.
If onlookers were expecting Richardson to be “humble in victory, gracious in defeat” afterward, though, she was not about to give the naysayers the glory that day.
https://twitter.com/4theculture____/status/1429184995999027205?s=20
“This is one race. I’m not done,” she boasted at her postrace interview. “Count me out if you want to … talk all the s— you want! ‘Cuz I’m here to stay. I’m not done. I’m the sixth-fastest woman in this game ever. Can’t nobody ever take that from me! Congratulations to the winners … but they’re not done seeing me yet!” And Richardson posted a simple tweet in response to all her haters.
The internet is undefeated and, even though it’s all in good fun, some of the takes are pretty hilarious! Check out the best in the gallery below:
