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Johnson has teared into Sha'Carri Richardson's 100m Olympic final performance, comparing it to her World Championship win in Budapest a year ago.
American sprint legend Michael Johnson has expressed sharp criticism of Sha’Carri Richardson's performance in the 100m final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she was beaten to the gold medal by Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred.
The three-time NCAA champion, Alfred, pulled off a stunning victory in the Stade de France, clocking 10.72 seconds to secure her country's first Olympic medal in history.
Richardson finished in second place with a time of 10.87 seconds, while her compatriot Melissa Jefferson took bronze with a time of 10.92 seconds. This marked the first time since the Atlanta 1996 Games that American runners had won two medals in the women's 100m event.
Despite Richardson's podium finish, many had expected her to claim the gold, given her strong performances leading up to the Olympics.
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12:48 - 04.08.2024
Paris 2024 Olympics: Justin Gatlin explains what went wrong for Sha'Carri Richardson in the 100m final
Gatlin has revealed what went wrong for Sha'Carri Richardson as she lost to Saint Lucia's Julian Alfred in the final of the 100m race at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics.
Johnson, however, was not impressed and criticized Richardson for what he sees as a pattern of underperforming under pressure. He contrasted her Olympic showing with her victory at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where she won the 100m final from the unorthodox position of lane nine.
“She ended up getting an atrocious start in that semi-final. Sha’Carri had not proven herself to be a real championship racer like Noah [Lyles] did.
"She had shown herself to be like what we saw in Kishane [Thompson in the men’s final], to tighten up at the end when under pressure,” Johnson stated, referring to Richardson's struggles in the earlier rounds.
Johnson went on to explain the circumstances that led to Richardson competing from lane nine at the World Championships, suggesting that it worked to her advantage.
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17:20 - 08.08.2024
Kishane Thompson reveals why he has not bothered rewatching epic 100 final race he narrowly lost to Noah Lyles
Kishane Thompson has revealed why he has not found it necessary to rewatch his 100m final performance at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics alot, further revealing next targets following the tournament.
“In that semi-final, she tightened up and ended up having to qualify on time. In those semi-finals, they take the top two, so she was third. She had to wait for the other semi-finals to favor her to get in. Because she had a slow time in that semi-final and finished third, she ends up in lane nine, that benefitted her because she was able to run her own race.”
Johnson also addressed Richardson's lackluster start in the Olympic final, which he saw as the critical factor in her defeat.
“We know Sha’Carri is fast, we know she has massive talent. Coming into these Olympics running fast times against the Americans and everybody else to get here. I am telling you the truth, people can love or hate Sha’Carri. You can call me a hater for saying this, but in that race, she was under pressure,” he said.
Elaborating further, Johnson noted, “She didn’t get a great start, never gets a great start, but that is fine as long as you can get through in the end. But that was one of her worst starts.
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14:24 - 05.08.2024
'They will be depressed' - Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles fires warning to Kenny Bednarek & Co ahead of 200m duel
Newly-crowned Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles has dared Kenny Bednarek and other rivals in the 200m shortly after clinching 100m gold.
"Last off the blocks, and you have to get back in the race under pressure, but now, Julien is gone. Gone! She was not able to get back. That race was over before it started. It was surprising even to me. If you looked at her coming out before that race started, she did not look confident, she did not have a champion’s mindset.”
Johnson's candid assessment of Richardson’s performance has sparked discussion among fans and analysts alike, with some agreeing with his critique while others defend the sprinter’s achievements. As Richardson reflects on her Olympic performance, the world will be watching to see how she responds in future competitions.
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