‘They’re Not Done Seeing Me Yet,’ Says Sha’Carri Richardson. ‘Period.’

The American sprinter might have lost her first race following suspension, but she was anything but defeated.

By Harron Walker  |  August 22, 2021 | 9:02pm
CelebritiesNotable/Quotable,
‘They’re Not Done Seeing Me Yet,’ Says Sha’Carri Richardson. ‘Period.’
Photo:Patrick Smith (Getty Images)

Sha’Carri Richardson’s return to competition was not as triumphant as she had hoped. The American sprinter, who was disqualified from competing for USA Track & Field at this most recent Olympic Games after testing positive for a chemical found in marijuana in June, finished last in the 100 meters at Saturday’s Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, The New York Times reports.

The top-placing finishers this weekend mirrored the Tokyo podium. Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Shericka Jackson—all from Jamaica—finishing first, second, and third, respectively.

Though Richardson finished the 100 meters with a time of 11.14 seconds, more than half a second behind Thompson-Herah’s 10.54, she kept her spirits high while talking to reporters after the race, calling it “a great return back to the sport.”

“Not upset at myself at all,” she said, per ESPN. “This is one race. I’m not done. You know what I’m capable of.”

“Today was a day, but it’s not every day. It’s not the end of the world. And like I say, if you count me out, joke’s on you,” she continued. “Talk all the shit you want, ‘cause I’m here to stay. I’m not done. I’m the sixth-fastest woman in this game, ever. And can’t nobody ever take that from me. Congratulations to the winners. Congratulations to the people that won, but they’re not done seeing me yet. Period.”

Thompson-Herah, the Jamaican sprinter who the 100 meters at the Prefontaine Classic as well as the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games, had much to celebrate after Saturday’s race. Her time was not only a personal best but the second-best of all time after the late Florence Griffith Joyner’s 1988 record of 10.49.

“I’m a little bit surprised because I’ve not run that fast in five years and I actually ran fast at the championships,” Thompson-Herah said, per ESPN. “But to come back here after two weeks to run another personal best is really amazing.”

 
Join the discussion...