“Stay authentic” - When Sha'Carri Richardson reflected on Justin Gatlin’s advice before maiden Olympic trials

Sha'Carri Richardson once reflected on the advice American sprint icon Justin Gatlin gave to her before her first U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. Richardson competed in her first Olympic trials in 2021, held for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In her debut Olympic trials, she competed only in the women’s 100m event. During the heats, she ran a swift 10.84s to qualify for the semifinals, advancing as the top qualifier.

Following her impressive performance in the heats, she was asked in a post-race interview about the advice which the 2004 Olympic champion Gatlin had given her ahead of her first trials. She responded to the question, saying (2:33 onwards via FloTrack):

“The advice that Justin Gatlin gave me coming to the trials is just to be myself. Don't contain myself because this meet is so big because of the name on it. Just continue to think of it as another race and bring it to the game what I've been bringing. So, that was his advice just for me to stay authentic.”

She went on to win the final of the trials, clocking a sensational 10.86s, finishing ahead of Javianne Oliver (10.99s) and Teahna Daniels (11.03s). However, Sha'Carri Richardson faced a major setback when she tested positive for marijuana following her victory. She had used it to cope with the death of her biological mother, whose passing she learned about just before the trials.

Because of this, she got a one-month suspension, preventing her from competing at the Tokyo Olympics. Three years later, the 25-year-old redeemed herself by winning a gold in the 4x100m relay event and silver in the 100m at the Paris Olympics.

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Sha'Carri Richardson on her mindset during 4x100m relay final leg at the Paris Olympics

Sha'Carri Richardson (R) and Gabby Thomas (L) at Paris Olympics 2024. Source: Getty

Sha'Carri Richardson shared her thoughts on her mindset during the 4x100m relay final leg at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In an interview with Refinery29, she was questioned on her mindset and whether she could hear teammate Gabby Thomas’ voice. To which, she reacted, saying:

“During the 4x1, I don't hear anybody else but Gabby. If it's not her voice, I can't hear it. Everything else is a blur. Gabby’s voice automatically sends me into a place of determination and it sends me into a place of I know what time it is. I know she did her part.”

“Now she is trusting me. Now, she is believing in me. Now, she is expecting me. She has every right to, because she did her thing to get me to go into a different phase, to continue to transfer that energy and that speed in which we did,” Richardson added.

She went on to describe the baton exchange process during the race, where after handing her the baton, her teammate Gabby Thomas continued to encourage her by shouting ‘Go! Go!’ instead of stopping at the exchange. Notably, team USA won gold in the event, which was also Richardson’s first-ever Olympic gold medal.