“Whether you dislike or like it, you have to give Usain Bolt credit” - When Sha'Carri Richardson reflected on sprinting icon’s legacy

Sha'Carri Richardson once reflected on the legacy of retired sprint icon Usain Bolt. She stated that Bolt was the greatest sprinter in history and deserved recognition.

Via FloTrack, in a June 2021 interview, a journalist talked about her viral photo with Mondo Duplantis, where both were holding a document during their freshman year, which was from their first day at Louisiana State University (LSU). In the document, Richardson had named Bolt her favorite athlete.

The journalist then asked her whether she had any other athletes she looked up to. Sha'Carri Richardson reacted, mentioning why she had chosen Bolt in the document. She added that people may have different opinions about him, but he deserves respect for his accomplishments:

“I said that because of the fact that Usain Bolt is an athlete that puts himself on the track. Uh, whether you dislike it, whether you like it, in a day you have to be able to give this man his credit because he is the greatest sprinter in history.”

Additionally, Richardson reflected on her close friendship with two-time Olympic champion pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, calling him one of her favorite people, during the interview. To date, the 2023 100m world champion and Duplantis share a strong bond and are often seen together when they attend the same event or meeting.

Three years later, Richardson made her Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she had a successful campaign, collecting two medals.

Sha'Carri Richardson opens up on emotional podium moment at Paris Olympics 2024

Sha'Carri Richardson gets emotional on 4x100m relay podium at Paris Olympics. Credits - Getty

Sha'Carri Richardson reflected on her emotional moment on the podium after winning gold in the women’s 4x100m relay, her first-ever Olympic gold, at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She detailed her emotional reaction in an interview with Refinery29.com in August 2024, following the quadrennial games, saying:

“Getting emotional on the podium, that was not a plan, that was not scripted [laughs]. I would honestly say that moment was just a full circle moment, just embracing everything, not even including what had happened in the general moment to make it on the podium, but just embracing the entire journey of being just a human and growing, not even just as an athlete, but as a woman, as a spirit.”

She further shared that this was only the beginning and believed greater progress awaited her. In addition to her gold medal victory in the team event, Richardson accomplished great success in the individual 100m event by winning a silver with a time of 10.87s in the finals.