In Pictures: Sha'Carri Richardson turns heads in her 'historic' appearance on the Essence cover

Sha'Carri Richardson appeared on the latest cover of Essence Magazine, her first cover appearance following a triumphant campaign at the Paris Olympics. The American sprinter anchored her nation to a gold medal in the women's 4x100m relay at the quadrennial event.

Richardson was the pre-tournament favorite for the women's 100m finals at the Olympic Games but a poor start in both the finals and the semifinals meant she lost both races to eventual champion Julien Alfred. The St. Lucian won the gold in 10.72s while the world champion settled for silver in 10.87s.

In the 4x100m relay finals, Richardson redeemed herself with an iconic performance. After receiving the baton in fifth position, the 24-year-old sprinted to the first position in no time, and before crossing the finish line for the gold medal, she gave a fiery side-on look to her competitors.

Months after the Games, Richardson has now been featured in the January/February issue of Essence magazine. The reigning world champion posed in various stylish dresses and claimed it was a historic appearance for her in the magazine.

Explaining why the occasion was historic for her, Richardson revealed that her grandmother Betty Harp used to read the Essence magazine.

“Gracing the cover is almost historic for me. It’s going to show my journey of transformation. I actually remember my grandmother having magazines, and ESSENCE being one of those magazines. When I shared with her that I would be on the cover, that was something that I was able to relate to the little girl inside of me. So I’m super excited and honored, and I feel like the foundation of ESSENCE aligns with the foundation of who I am," Sha'Carri Richardson said.

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"I felt like I was going to leave it all on the track" - Sha'Carri Richardson recalls viral staredown at the Paris Olympics

The Olympic Games-Paris 2024 - Sha'Carri Richardson in action (Source: Getty)

Speaking with Essence about her viral staredown moment in the 4x100m relay finals at the Paris Olympics, Sha'Carri Richardson claimed she wanted to show off her personality on the track.

"That energy just came from everything coming up until that final moment, that being the final race of my first Olympic Games. I felt like I was going to leave it all on the track— meaning my personality, how I was feeling, how I embraced the moment, as well as how I knew I’d fought to be in that moment too," she said.

Richardson further stressed that while she was humble, she also believed in her abilities and thus decided to stare down the rest of the field.

"I’m a very humble person. I really am. But I just know and trust the work that I have put in, the faith that I had," Sha'Carri Richardson added.

The 24-year-old was honored with a track named after her in her hometown Dallas following the Paris Olympics.