Jackie Joyner-Kersee is reveling in the new era of women's athletics, highlighted by American sprint superstar Sha'Carri Richardson.
"Sha'carri takes it to a whole other level," Joyner-Kersee told Olympics.com in a recent exclusive interview. The three-time Olympic champion Joyner-Kersee said that it's Richardson who reminds her the most of her late sister-in-law, the great Florence Joyner-Griffith.
"You know exactly where Sha'Carri is coming from and you know exactly who you're dealing with," Joyner-Kersee said in a video interview. "And then she gets out there and backs it up with her performance. Well, when you talk about the nails, the fashion, all the different things... it's just amazing to see to her bring that flair.
"These young women are transcending our sport... and [then] people appreciating their talent," too, she added.
Richardson will look to emulate Griffith-Joyner in the women's 100m final at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, with the 24-year-old trying to become the first American woman to win the Olympic title in this event since Gail Devers at Atlanta 1996.
Joyner-Kersee's prediction for that coveted gold?
"I have to go with our world champion," she said after a pause, noting Richardson's win at the World Championships in 2023. "It's my hope that Sha'Carri [wins]. I'm not going to bet against her because she is the reigning world champion."
Joyner-Kersee can recall Richardson catching her eye when she competed for Lousiana State University in 2019, setting an NCAA record of 10.75 on her way to the collegiate 100m title. She went pro thereafter.
"I knew she was a phenom and a person to beat," Joyner-Kersee said. "I knew Sha'Carri was going to be someone you have to deal with."
While Richardson's roller-coaster since has been well documented, Joyner-Kersee believes that much of Sha'Carri's on- and off-track personality not only help elevate the sport, but also put the American in prime position to claim an Olympic gold after years of hype in the lead-up to Paris 2024.
Worlds last August are the perfect example of that, she said.
"To be able to put it all together when there were so many naysayers out there... that says a lot about the focus, the concentration, the desire," explained Joyner-Kersee, noting that Richardson won Worlds from an outside spot in lane 9.
"[That] put to rest whatever questions people might have had about her," she continued. "To block out [the noise]... she and her coach, Dennis Mitchell, [they] were able to put it together at the right time and come away with the victory.
"But Sha'Carri has always had the goods. She's always, to me... she will always be a threat, be a contender, you know, to win it all."
It's an era of women's athletics that has been lauded by many as the greatest. While Jamaica's Elaine Thompson is sidelined for these Games, Richardson has the likes of the great Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to potentially go head-to-head with in the 100m final, while Marie-Josee Ta Lou and Julien Alfred are contenders, too.
That's not even to mention Shericka Jackson in the 200m, or Richardon's teammate Gabby Thomas.
Oh, and we have a showdown in the 400m hurdles with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol.
"You know, it's a cool moment for women's sprints," Joyner-Kersee said. "The excitement,... you look at Julien [Alfred] and what she's been able to accomplish for Saint Lucia, it is just amazing."
Paris marks the end of the road for Fraser-Pryce, the 37-year-old megastar who won gold in the 100m at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and has been a legend in the sport ever since, tacking up eight Olympic medals - three of them golds.
"What has stood out the most to me about Shelly-Ann is her humility and her tenacity," Joyner-Kersee said. "This is her last Olympics, last go around. It's a credit to her and her coach to be able to stay focused... being a wife and then having a child and still running at top level - that says a lot about her. Not only her preparation, but also her desire and then, goal-setting and to see it all through.
"She's a great ambassador for our sport."
Joyner-Kersee said that's something that Richardson has done, too, even as she's entered into global icon status.
"From what I've been able to observe, I love how she performs on the track, and then how she gives her time to young people, too," she added. "She's shared with them about, 'Don't make the mistakes I made' ... or whatever it may be. You have to give credit to [Sha'Carri]: She's vulnerable and then has been able to back up what she puts out there."
Sha'Carri Richardson's Olympic Journey
Sha'Carri Richardson made her Olympics debut in Paris this weekend, putting up stellar performances both Friday and Saturday to qualify for the women's 100m final on Saturday.
While fans are getting the chance to see Richardson at the Olympic level for the first time, the 24-year-old has been one of the biggest names in Track & Field for several years.
She returned to the track at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic, finishing ninth. She returned to Olympic form nearly two years later, officially kicking off her revenge tour.
She won the 100m at the U.S. Track and Field Championships in a time of 10.82 seconds. She then claimed the title of fastest woman in the world with her 100m win at the 2023 World Athletic Championships in Budapest. She went on to kick off the Olympic year with a win at the Prefontaine Classic in a time of 10.83 seconds.
"I'm better, I'm stronger and I'm wiser," Richardson told NBC in an interview last month. "I just knew that I was in a different position that I've never been in my entire life."
Sha'Carri Richardson's Paris 2024 Races
Sha'Carri Richardson is looking win her first Olympic medals during the 2024 Games in Paris.
Richardson, 24, is expected to compete in two events: the women's 100m and women's 4x100m relay. She's expected to contend for the gold in both events.
The Paris Olympics is her first after being unable to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Richardson already has a record of success in her premiere events. She is the 2023 world champion in the 100m and 4x100m relay. She's also the bronze world medalist in the 200m. Richardson is also a two-time world champion in the 100m, winning first place in both 2023 and 2024.
She'll be joined in the 4x100m relay by Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha "TeeTee" Terry and one more athlete from Team USA's pool.
The Rise of Julien Alfred
SAINT-DENIS, France — The fastest woman in the world isn’t Sha’Carri Richardson or Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. It’s Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred.
Alfred shocked the world by winning the women’s 100 final at the Paris Olympics in rainy conditions at Stade de France. The Saint Lucian sprinter ran a national record 10.72 to win gold.
It's the first ever Olympic medal for Saint Lucia.
Sha’Carri Richardson placed second with a 10.87 and Melissa Jefferson time of 10.92 was good enough for bronze.
Richardson was the heavy favorite going into the final. Richardson’s 10.71 is the fastest time in the world this year. But Alfred upset Richardson to win gold at her first ever Olympics.
The women’s 100 final was absent of plenty of star power due to the absence of Jamaica’s three stars. Elaine Thompson-Herah suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, Shericka Jackson withdrew from the 100 just before the Olympic track and field competition was set to begin and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce shockingly scratched just before the start of the semifinal.
Alfred, who competed collegiately for the University of Texas, had the third fastest time in the world entering the Paris Olympics. She won the 100 at the 2022 NCAA track and field championships while with the Longhorns.
Alfred looked the best through the qualifying rounds.
Alfred beat Sha’Carri Richardson in the semifinal and carried the momentum into the final.
The Saint Lucian runner got out the blocks fast and had an early lead. She extended her lead during her drive and acceleration phases. At 60 meters, Alfred had a stride lead ahead of Richardson and the rest of the sprinters. Then Alfred’s speed maintenance to close final 20 meters to the finish line was too much for the rest of the competitors to handle.
All Alfred’s phases in rainy conditions were superior to any other sprinter in the women’s 100 final.
"I’m thinking of God, my dad, who didn’t get to see me. He passed away in 2013. Dad, this is for you. I miss you. I did it for him, I did it for my coach and God," Alfred said.
Looking Ahead
While Sha'Carri Richardson's Olympic dream of gold may have been dashed, her journey is far from over. She still has the 4x100m relay to compete in, and the opportunity to add another Olympic medal to her collection. And as Joyner-Kersee has said, Richardson's talent and determination make her a contender for any race she enters, proving that her story is one that will continue to unfold with each step she takes.
