Sha’Carri Richardson: The Girl’s Got Flash
OPINION:
Sha’Carri Richardson: The Girl’s Got Flash
By D. S. Mitchell and William Jones
Eye Catching Style
Sha’Carri Richardson was the center of media attention after securing her spot at the Tokyo Olympics, not only for her lightening speed, but for the over-the-top glamour she brought to the track. Sha’Carri Richardson lit up the arena with long, bright fingernails, vibrantly colored hair, and dazzling speed. Such tactics guaranteed her the spotlight during races. She changes her hair color frequently, telling reporters and fans that the orange shade for the U.S. trials in Eugene, Oregon was inspired by her girlfriend, who chose the color because it was “loud” and screamed “dangerous.”
Freedom of Expression
Richardson has said that her hair color is a way of expressing herself. “The color is based on how I want to feel, like the red puts me in a very dominating mood. And sometimes I feel that can be overwhelming, so when I need to calm down, I have black hair. The black calms me and makes me blend in instead of being extra,” she explained to fans. The track star continued, “The blonde is for when I’m going home to Texas. Or I’ll wear it when I am away from home and want to feel like home.”
Comparisons To Flo Joyner
Richardson has been compared to three-time Olympic gold medalist Florence Griffith Joyner, who was also known for her style on and off the track. Richardson acknowledged the track legend on Instagram and speaks openly of Joyner’s influence on her. She captioned one post, “Y’all love talking about my hair & my nails like the greatest woman ever to enter the game ran in style.” If nothing else Sha’Carri knows how to catch your eye.
Her Early Life and Athletics
Sha’Carri Richardson came into the world, March 25, 2000, in Dallas, Texas. She graduated from Carter High School. Richardson started participating in racing competitions when she was in the third grade. As an adolescent, Richardson won the 100 meter title at the AAU Junior Olympics – the most important national multi-sport event for youth in the United States – in 2016, then another title at the USA Track & Field Junior Championships in 2017. She made her international debut at the Pan American U20 Athletics Championships in 2017.
The journey of Richardson’s career
She enrolled at Louisiana State University and began competing for the Lady Tigers track and field team. At LSU she was a finalist in both the 60-meter dash and, the 200 meter at the 2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. At the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, she won the 100 meter and placed runner-up in the 200 meter by but one-hundredth of a second.
Going Pro
After a stellar year at LSU Sha’Carri announced she was leaving LSU to pursue her dream as a professional athlete. Sha’Carri Richardson won the women’s 100 meter at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials with a time of 10.86 seconds, bursting into the lead within the final few meters. After that dramatic win, she ran into the stands at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, for an extended embrace with her grandmother, Betty Harp.
Grandmother Appreciation
She said that the time spent holding her grandmother after the race was more exciting than winning the race itself. “My grandmother is my heart, my superwoman, so to be ready to have her here at the most important meet of my life, and having the ability to cross the finishing line and run up the steps knowing I’m an Olympian now, it just felt amazing.”
Family Support
“My family has kept me grounded. This year has been crazy for me. Going from just last week, losing my biological mother, and I’m still here. Last week finding out my biological mother passed away and still choosing to pursue my dreams, still coming out here and still making sure to make the family that I do still have on this earth proud,” Richardson said. “Y’all see me on this track, and you all see the poker face that I put on, but nobody but them and my coach knows what I go through on a day-to-day basis. I’m highly grateful for them. Without them, there would be no me. Without my grandmother, there would be no Sha’Carri Richardson. So my family is my everything.”
Sad News
Asked later about her biological mother, Richardson declined to go into details but said, “I want to thank her for bringing me into this world. I respect her and love her. I know she loves me. Shockingly Richardson had learned that her biological mother had died from a reporter during an interview.
Sha’Carri Richardson Suspended After a Failed Drug Test
Sha’Carri Richardson, took a punch to the gut when she was suspended from the Olympic team after testing positive for THC, the chemical in cannabis. Richardson failed the drug test following her Olympic qualifying 100-meter race victory at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon, on June 19, according to the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Sha’Carri Richardson will not be going to the Olympics and that is too bad.
Opinion
First of all cannabis is NOT by any stretch a the imagination, a performance enhancing drug, so why the hell are they testing for it? Furthermore, marijuana is legal for recreational use in 19 states and it is legal in 36 states for medical use. It is time for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to shit can the anti-cannabis rules.
https://www.calamitypolitics.com/2021/02/07/women-and-professional-sports-15821/
References
https://people.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-everything-to-know-about-shacarri-richardson/
