"You can't just box all of us in a box"-When Sha'Carri Richardson explained 'uncomfortable' decision of going pro with Nike just after one year at LSU

Sha'Carri Richardson once revealed that while transitioning from college to a professional career was an 'uncomfortable' decision for her, she wanted to set new norms in the sport. The American sprinter turned professional after a record-breaking one year at Louisiana State University.

After winning the 100m and 200m Texas state titles with Carter High School, Richardson joined LSU in 2018 and ran for the Lady Tigers track and field team. After reaching the finals of the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships, the Dallas native made a record-breaking 100m run in the outdoor championships.

She clocked 10.75s to win the 100m title, setting a new collegiate record while also improving the 42-year-old world U20 best in the distance. However, the 24-year-old forewent her remaining three years of eligibility and turned professional with Nike in mid-2019.

Speaking in an interview with Tempo Journal in October 2020, Richardson claimed the decision was uncomfortable for her but its silver lining was that it kept her up to her toes in the following years.

"Definitely, those risks, those decisions made me uncomfortable but I guess I have noticed from just in my past that when change comes you're supposed to be uncomfortable but when you make a change, you get different results. Also being uncomfortable keeps me on my toes, it also makes me not satisfied," she said. [11:00 onwards]

The 2023 world champion also revealed that she was told to not go professional right after her freshman year at LSU. However, she wanted to break the barriers placed on her and other athletes.

"Like most people when they transition from college to professional, it does take them a while and I hear that or when I was in college, 'oh yeah you're freshman so transitioning over to the professional may be a little tricky' and it's just like everyone is different. You can't just box all of us in a box or you can't box everyone in a box because of how you experience the situation and I always take that as ammunition to be different, to beat the system, to make a new norm," Sha'Carri Richardson added.

The Olympic champion made her professional debut at the 2019 Prefontaine Classic and finished fourth in 11.15s. She extended her contract with Nike in 2023 at an estimated $20 million which runs through the 2028 season, including the LA Olympic Games.

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Sha'Carri Richardson honored by LSU following success at the 2024 Paris Olympics

The Olympic Games-Paris 2024 - Sha'Carri Richardson celebrates gold medal win - Source: Getty

Sha'Carri Richardson made her Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics and won two medals in her maiden campaign. She clocked 10.87s for a silver medal in the women's 100m and anchored the Team USA to the gold medal in the 4x100m relay finals.

Following the Games, Richardson was honored by LSU at the "Golden Hour: A Cocktail Hour" event in November alongside Mondo Duplantis, who also joined the program in 2018 and turned professional a year later. Both athletes won gold medals at the 2024 Paris and shared a candid reunion at the event afterward.

Sha'Carri Richardson was also honored in her hometown by Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees, which renamed a track after her at the John Kincaide Stadium.