GOAT of women’s sprint: Usain Bolt’s career-changing advise for Sha’Carri Richardson could propel her to the status

Track legend Usain Bolt’s interest in Sha’Carri Richardson’s career and her adherence to his advise can propel her to the GOAT status of women’s sprint.

Sha’Carri Richardson may become the greatest sprinter of all time as a result of Usain Bolt’s involvement in her career and advice that has changed her career trajectory during the past year. The icon of Jamaican track was optimistic about Richardson’s recovery following her disappointment at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, even prior to the Games in Paris.

I would tell Sha’Carri to train harder and to be focused and not say too much. If you talk that big talk you have to back it up. So just train hard and focus on that and try to come back do it and then talk about it,” said Bolt speaking to the New York Postafter Richardson missed out on competing at the Tokyo Olympics.

The multiple world record holder would later reiterate his sentiments on the American speedster’s impact on the sport in an interview with Revolt and how he dealt with his failures.

He remarked, “Her energy is different, which is why I think it makes her good for the sport. I like it.” It has a vibe and is hot. Failures are inevitable in the workplace; it’s just a fact of life,” he continued. “I did not advance past the first round of the Olympics in Athens, my first Olympics. Hence, all it takes is self-belief, perseverance, and a strong sense of determination to go out and give it your all.”

Following Bolt’s advice, Richardson would compete in her first Olympics in Paris, where she painfully finished second in the women’s 100-meter final behind Julien Alfred. The disappointment of losing her first Olympic 100m final persisted even after she found redemption in the women’s 4 x 100m relay, where she performed brilliantly as Team USA’s anchor leg, propelling the quartet from third to first place in the race to win gold.

The American track star didn’t seem to care about the defeat, especially following the contentious incident prior to her semifinal race in which she and the legendary Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce were refused access to one of the warm-up track areas and had to walk a greater distance to get there. After returning to her training camp in the US, Richardson put her Olympic disappointments behind her and pushed even harder to get ready for her upcoming race and potential retaliation against Alfred. She accomplished this with great success at the Zurich Diamond League, where she put on a strong performance to defeat the recently crowned Olympic champion.

Richardson got the comeback win against a stacked 100m field at the Letzigrund Stadium, blazing to a time of 10.84s to Alfred’s 10.88s, while Dina Asher-Smith and Marie Josee Ta Lou-Smith came in third and fourth, each with a time of 10.89s and 10.93s respectively.

Her response to the heartbreak in Paris shows her champion’s grit, though that is something Bolt has noticed about the American.

With the Diamond League final set to take place in Brussels on September 14, where Richardson and Alfred will meet again, the world 100m champion will be gunning for another famous win against her fierce rival to prove her mettle that she’s not backing down on the path to GOAT status of women’s sprint.