A lot has transpired for Sha'Carri Richardson. From dealing with the usual struggles of being a world-class athlete to her previous ban, a lot has led to her Paris 2024 achievements. Advice dictates that it's always best to keep 'your eye on the prize.' But rules and norms are made to be broken.
As the final leg of the women's 4x100-meter race was in her hands, her dominance was clear. For all of the talk of some races being photo finishes this one was very clear. In fact, the race was so much in hand that she felt comfortable enough to take a look over her right shoulder to see how far in front she was.
Again, this is something that goes against conventional wisdom and practice, particularly for emerging track athletes. Looking either way can cost you precious tenths of a second, and more importantly, that moment, which could be described as a mental focus lapse, can often be used to the advantage of an opponent.
To be clear, this is not what would accurately describe what happened in the Olympic event. Instead of her now viral stare down, it shows how confident and how much better she is than everyone else in her sport. Being able to run in what would otherwise be a high-pressure situation and not feel the need to have a 100% focus on just getting across the finish line is simply amazing.
When athletes reach a certain level and tower over the competition the way that Sha'Carri Richardson does, then liberties and trotting off of the conventional path is it right that's earned through countless reps of the fundamentals. Confidence and preparation are interlinked, and once you've mastered a craft, certain rules no longer apply.
But again, this comes after years of hard work, overcoming and giving toward an effort that does not always see immediate payout. To be able to do and pull off what she did is something that cannot be taken lightly. Furthermore, any athletes looking to copy this move are in reality dishonoring what it took for her to be able to pull this off and still win gold.
Anyone can look over their shoulder in a race; others may even take it a step further and we're in a silly face or make a funny gesture. But being able to do so at the Games while being handed the baton and overcoming a deficit with the pressure on is something only she in that moment could genuinely pull off.
Post-race for Sha'Carri Richardson
Needless to say, the LSU Tiger was visibly emotional at the conclusion of the race. For one, the scoreboard inside the stadium showed that Great Britain had one. But for someone who took the time during her busy schedule while leading the pack and knew that she had comfortably won, her initial reaction is justified.
But it was soon corrected, and the announcement made official that Team USA stood on top of the racing world in the relay race. Overcome with emotion both immediately afterward and at the podium and must have been a lot for her to take in. Not only does controversy and competing at this level put a lot of pressure on anyone, but being an American athlete who runs in the events that she does puts a lot of added pressure on members of Team USA.
The expectations are to always medal, and often times not coming in first is seen as something of a disappointment. But that doesn't matter for this event this year. Melissa Jefferson, Tee'Tee Terry, Gabby Thomas, and Sha'Carri Richardson are deserving champions and deserve an enormous amount of credit for how they were able to pull off this win.