There’s no secret that USA Track and Field star Sha’Carri Richardson struggled this past week in her last race. She failed to qualify for the world championships and refused to speak to the media throughout the week. On Sunday, she finally decided to speak and went on a rant about demanding “respect” among the media, reported Kyle Melnick for the Washington Post .
“Just talk about the weekend as a whole,” a reporter said at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
“No,” Richardson responded . “I want to express something, and you can take this interview and use it however you want. I’m speaking not just for myself, but for all athletes. When you conduct interviews, it would be better if you showed more respect towards athletes. Try to understand them, whether they’re winning or losing. Athletes deserve greater respect than simply having cameras thrust in their faces.”
“Try to grasp the mindset of athletes before asking your questions. Also, remember that they are human beings, regardless of your intention to gather information for an article and make money. Thank you.”
Richardson, 22, then turned and walked away.
Sha’Carri returns to the media to make a statement… pic.twitter.com/bJ4yVtR3Is
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 26, 2022
Sha’Carri Richardson Mindset Shifting
To be fair, earlier that day she failed to qualify for the final in the 200 meters and the world championship that takes place next month. Sadly, she may have been disappointed with her performance and didn’t want to be made fun of or belittled. Ultimately, her time was the 10th fastest out of 16 runners.
After Sunday, Richardson participated in an interview, where she mainly discussed fashion and changing the culture of track and field.
It’s fashion track queen Sha’Carri Richardson @itskerrii !
“Whenever I step onna track, I want all eyes on me, win, lose or draw.”
And as all queens should, she’s standing at the forefront of better treatment for athletes 👑
Keep the fire looks coming boo ❤️😉#USATFOutdoors pic.twitter.com/EHQW1L7vlq
— Katelyn ✨ (@kxnaomi) June 26, 2022
As of now, she must bite her words as she promised to be the world champion in 2022. However, that’s proven to be false. Understanding that, she must backtrack and do some damage control, she responded to her own post last July.
“I know what I say lol y’all can’t clown me … didn’t get it done, no excuses,” she wrote. “Y’all don’t deserve my story … NEXT !!”
I know what I say lol y’all can’t clown me 😂😂😂didn’t get it done,no excuses . Y’all don’t deserve my story 😘NEXT !! https://t.co/SWRYyAnA2f
— Sha’Carri Richardson (@itskerrii) June 26, 2022
Naturally, Richardson wanted to respond to the critics. A video surfaced on the Internet of Richardson walking by while shaking her head in disgust at the media. Shortly after, she responded with a tweet addressing her newest venture and her excitement about it.
“I’m launching my own platform where fans can truly connect and discover the sport, athletes, and the authentic stories and questions that the world genuinely wants to know. It won’t be driven by monetary motives.” “STAY TUNEDD, IM EXCITED!!”
Since you want to talk, I am coming out with my own platform so fans can really connect and learn the sport, as well as the athletes and the stories & questions put out is what the world actually want to know and it’s real, not sold for a dollar. 😁😁STAY TUNEDD, IM EXCITED!! https://t.co/9bP62Pbamd
— Sha’Carri Richardson (@itskerrii) June 26, 2022
New Media Takeover
In conclusion, there are several athletes who have taken their power back by giving themselves a voice. Many athletes believe sports media has attempted to paint narratives and control people’s careers. Going forward, many athletes will eventually follow suit to gain power back from the media.
