"Sha'Carri Richardson, your joy sparkles like a shooting star" - Fans react to American's surprise visit to the Jamaica Athletics Invitational 2024

Fans online have reacted to Sha'Carri Richardson making a surprise appearance in the stands at the Jamaican Athletics Invitational 2024. While the 100m world champion didn't compete in the event, she was captured with the fans in and around the stadium.

Richardson opened her highly anticipated 2024 outdoor season at the Xiamen Diamond League on April 20. The 24-year-old competed in the 200m event but lost to Australia’s Torrie Lewis by 0.03 seconds after clocking 22.99s for the second position.

A week later, Richardson featured at the Shanghai Diamond League, once again in the 200m event. She was comparatively slower on the Suzhou tracks, finishing third in 23.11s. Her fellow American Anavia Battle finished second while Britain's Daryll Neita won the race.

Richardson didn't feature in the Doha Diamond League 2024 on May 10 nor did she compete at Jamaica Athletics Invitational. She made an appearance in the stands where American sprinters Fred Kerley and Christian Coleman were also slated to compete. The world champion could be seen enjoying the love from Jamaican fans and happily clicking selfies with them.

Several fans on social media expressed their awe at Sha'Carri Richardson's charismatic persona, lauding the American for lighting up the Jamaican Invitational 2024.

"Sha'carri, your joy sparkles like a shooting star, lighting up the JAI with pure, radiant fun. Keep shining, champ!" a fan wrote.

"Witnessing Sha'carri's radiant joy at JAI, a burst of pure, unbridled energy, reminds us all that life's sweetest victories are shared in the laughter and love of the moment," another fan wrote.

"She scoping the competition with grace and beauty, all while having fun!" a user wrote.

Several other fans also heaped praise on Sha'Carri Richardson's beauty.

"The 'STUNNING' SHA' CARRI RICHARDSON is doing 'SOMETHING' different....! What will she 'DO' next....? She seems to have a 'SURPRISE' pile...!" a fan wrote.

"Natural beauty," another fan wrote.

"Glad the vibez is back w/ her," a user wrote.

“I'm a black young lady” - Sha'Carri Richardson on the difference between her suspension and Kamila Valieva's case

Day 6 - World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023

Kamila Valieva, the Russian figure skater, tested positive for trimetazidine, a performance-enhancing medication, during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. While the results of her test were out after she had helped the Russian team win the gold medal, she was allowed to compete in the remaining part of the Olympics.

But when Sha'Carri Richardson tested positive for marijuana in 2021, she wasn't. When Valieva's suspension was lifted, the world champion expressed her disappointment on X (formerly Twitter), saying:

“Can we get a solid answer on the difference of her situation and mines? My mother died and I can’t run and was also favored to place top 3. The only difference I see is I’m a Black young lady.”

Sha'Carri Richardson was devastated when her mother died in 2021 before the Olympic Trials and used marijuana to cope with her death.

"People don’t understand what it’s like to have to…go in front of the world and put on a face and hide my pain,” she had told Today at the time.