Track and field often carries unfavorable outcomes for some icons, and this time around, Sha’Carri Richardson bore the brunt of it. After successful runs at the Olympics and the Zurich Diamond League, she missed reaching for the title at the Brussels Diamond League.
St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred witnessed a grand comeback after winning the crown at Brussels. Meanwhile, Richardson’s eighth position at the sprint came as a shock to several fans around the world who were rooting for her.
The race began strong for the title-winning Alfred and the second-place holder, Dina-Asher Smith, who took off to gain a lead on the track. However, Richardson fell behind with a weak start – a hiccup she has often run into on various occasions at such sprints – and eventually struggled to scale up ahead in the field.
Naturally, her fall from the leader in the Zurich Diamond League to a disappointing performance in Brussels has angered some fans, who have raised their criticisms. Many aired their frustrated emotions surrounding the American sprinter in a post on FloTrack’s official social media account.
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Some people made fun of the fans who supported Richardson’s win at the event.
“And people thought shacarri would win tonight“
Others compared her poor performance from last year to this meet, noting how she seemed to be taking competitions lightly.
“Sha’Carri had a chance to take her crown back but just like in her final race last season, she was already on vacation.“
Fans, however, couldn’t believe that the American, who has performed consistently well so far, could come in at the last spot.
“Sha’Carri came in 8th???“
One even claimed she was overhyped.
“Shacarri lost that gold medal just like she lost this trophy hunny she overhyped“
Lastly, people congratulated Alfred for her significant dominance on the track.
“Julien wins when it counts!“
Richardson’s performance this year has left some people feeling unhappy. Her history of weak starts has often held her back on track, and she still has a lot of work to do if she wants to compete in the World Championships in Tokyo next year.
Alfred’s dominance since the Olympics has been a fascinating development this season. She is a strong contender for Richardson and has a redemption arc that mirrors her American counterpart’s history.
Fans are anticipating an upcoming showdown between them, and it will be interesting to see how they address their challenges to outperform each other on the track.
