Has Sha’Carri Richardson’s full potential been actualized? A look into the world’s fastest women in 2024 season
Examining the 2024 season of the world’s fastest women – Sha’Carri Richardson and Julien Alfred. Has either of them actualized their full potential?
At the start of the 2024 season, only these names were paramount on track enthusiasts’ list to rule the women’s 100m event at Paris Olympic Games – Sha’Carri Richardson and the Jamaican ‘Big 3’ of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shericka Jackson.
Interestingly, a very much unknown Julien Alfred powered her way to upset the order, which resulted in an unexpected sprint rivalry between herself and Richardson as they ended the season as the world’s fastest women.
While the American speed queen closed off with the fastest time in the world at 10.71s, Alfred had an iconic season to remember by becoming the most decorated female sprinter, after winning all championship titles she competed in this year.
Sha’Carri Richardson and Julien Alfred’s rivalry this season
Paris Olympics confirmed their rivalry when Alfred stormed to the 100m gold medal in a brilliant personal best of 10.72s to become Saint Lucia’s first Olympic champion.
Considering Richardson was the reigning world 100m champion, she was hugely considered the top contender for the gold medal in the absence of her fierce Jamaican rivals but fell short as she settled for silver in 10.87s, while her training mate Melissa Jefferson won the bronze medal.
n their first race post-Paris Olympics final, the 24-year-old American got her confidence-boosting revenge with a stunning victory at the Zurich Diamond League. Despite a poor start, Richardson’s top-end speed proved just too good for the rest of the field, crossing the finish line first in a blistering 10.84s ahead of Alfred in 10.88s.
The race made it an even spoil between both parties before their final clash at the Diamond League in Brussels, where Richardson suffered a major setback as she finished last in the race and withdrew from the 200m final, thus raising concerns of a season-ending injury. Alfred won the trophy to complete her hatrick of championship titles for the year.
Has Sha’Carri Richardson’s full potential been actualized?
The talented speedster engraved her name in the history books when she blazed to the world 100m title in Budapest last year, clocking a blistering personal best time of 10.65s. By doing this, she defeated the ever-dominant Jamaican duo of Jackson and Fraser-Pryce, while Alfred was fifth in the race.
Her second-fastest career time came at the US Olympic Trials this year, where she comfortably clocked the world-leading time of 10.71s. This means Richardson’s top fastest legal career times are swifter than Alfred’s Olympic winning mark of 10.72s.
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