On July 7, Sha'Carri Richardson punched her ticket to the 2023 World Championships with a phenomenal 10.81 run at the US Championships in Oregon. Richardson is having a fantastic season, having previously recorded runs of 10.57 and 10.61. What's more, Richardson tossed aside her iconic orange wig before her championship-winning run. After the event, she explained that "I wanted to show you guys that I’m still that girl, but I’m better. I’m still that girl, but I’m stronger. I’m still that girl, but I’m wiser.” The World Championship will take place in Budapest, Hungary next month. Beyond that, Richardson will be eyeing Olympic Trials for Paris 2024.
However, the life of a track and field athlete, like many Olympic events, is not easier. The costs can be prohibitively high, the support can be minimal, and the lifestyle can be gruelling. "Track&Field is not like other sports especially in America. The NBA, NFL have organizations to HELP their athletes, not exploit them. Y’all have no idea how many track athletes that don’t even have a base salary. There are some athletes that literally sign contracts for CLOTHES!" Richardson tweeted on July 12. However, she also took aim at ESPN during their annual awards show.
Richardson Blasts ESPN
July 12 also marked the ESPYs Awards, the annual athlete awards hosted by ESPN. Richardson, it turns out, is not a fan. "The ESPYS invited me when my life was in shambles as if I was a charity case. The disrespect that track & field receives in the USA alone is nasty. Half of the athletes there now could not do what we do on our WORST day. #espys," Richardson tweeted. The period in question is likely the death of Richardson's mother, which was soon followed by her expulsion from the US Olympic Team in Tokyo.
However, Richardson's statement hits at a deeper issue. Track and field, despite being one of the oldest organized sports, gets very little love outside of the Olympic cycle. Despite prestigious events like national championships and the Diamond League, track and field gets a fraction of the love of other sports. Furthermore, women's track and field is even more ignored. As previously mentioned, there is rarely a safety net for these athletes. But then there is the exploitation of the ESPYs and ESPN, inviting Richardson at her lowest to show that they care or that they have solidarity with her. However, Richardson is flourishing right now, where is her recognition for that from the mainstream media?
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