Michael Johnson column: Sha'Carri Richardson can become 'serial champion' after 100m gold

1 year ago 13

Michael Johnson file  graphic

Venue: Budapest Dates: 19-27 August
Coverage: Watch unrecorded connected BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, BBC Sport website and app; perceive connected BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds; unrecorded substance connected evening sessions.

Sha'Carri Richardson's melodramatic 100m triumph astatine the World Championships is simply a precise important infinitesimal successful her vocation - and a value disconnected her shoulders.

What it means for the aboriginal is uncertain but determination is nary uncertainty the 23-year-old has the endowment to go a serial champion.

Whether she tin present connected that depends connected the American's quality to enactment down her the things that person caused her to beryllium inconsistent successful the past.

What we witnessed from Richardson connected Monday nighttime represented everything we person seen from her since she archetypal came connected to the country successful 2019.

We person seen her neglect dramatically to nutrient times that she should beryllium capable to easy produce. Just past year, astatine the US World Championship Trials, she was eliminated successful the archetypal round.

The mode her contention unfolded was incredible. We saw some sides of Richardson arsenic she went from astir crashing retired successful the semi-finals to moving a title grounds 10.65 seconds and beating the champion successful the satellite to golden from lane nine.

We person ever known Richardson has immense potential.

But the issues she has faced person been precise nationalist and, whether she would admit this oregon not, determination was a tremendous magnitude of unit connected her to yet present connected each of this talent.

Richardson splits sentiment globally - and successful America too. There are radical who recognize that she has had a hard time.

She came to the public's consciousness successful a large mode 2 years ago, winning the US trials successful emphatic fashion.

The precise adjacent time it each came crashing down due to the fact that of a affirmative trial for marijuana.

Because of the rules successful spot - outdated successful my presumption for a non-performance-enhancing substance, ineligible successful galore places successful the US - she mislaid her spot connected the Olympic team. Many saw it arsenic wholly unfair but perceptions person been divided.

Sha'Carri Richardson celebrates winning satellite   100m goldSha'Carri Richardson claimed triumph successful the women's 100m 1 time aft compatriot Noah Lyles triumphed successful the men's race

It is bully for the athletics to person 2 dynamic personalities successful Richardson and men's 100m champion Noah Lyles astatine the precise top.

While that unsocial volition not prevention the sport, it volition gully greater attraction from sports fans and media.

The likelihood are that chap American Lyles volition spell connected to triumph the treble helium targeted successful Budapest. He is the champion 200m runner successful the satellite and has been connected occurrence this year.

The men's 4x100m is simply a small spot much tricky. The US surely person a talented squad but that does not warrant triumph successful the relay.

Zharnel Hughes volition astir apt person to tally different idiosyncratic champion to marque the podium successful the 200m.

The British sprinter has enactment his demons down him. All twelvemonth we person seen him execute similar a antithetic jock and I deliberation helium has figured retired however to harness his potential.

Making the 100m podium could beryllium a large infinitesimal for him - but I judge helium could person won and I deliberation helium knows that too. He volition transportation that into adjacent twelvemonth arsenic helium targets the Paris Olympics.

If I had to foretell the result of the men's 200m, which begins connected Wednesday, it would beryllium Lyles' archetypal followed by a conflict for metallic betwixt American 19-year-old Erriyon Knighton and Botswana's Letsile Tebogo, 20.

I'm excited by the contention I expect we'll spot betwixt those 3 athletes going forward. Knighton and Tebogo are inactive precise young and person agleam futures but Lyles, inactive lone 26, remains good ahead.

Based connected her show successful the 100m, I deliberation Dina Asher-Smith is carrying a small spot of an injury.

Being a British jock comes with a tremendous magnitude of unit and it is pugnacious for galore to woody with. The erstwhile 200m champion likes to power her ain process and support things internal. It has worked for her successful the past.

While the contented is not keeping her from competing, it is surely affecting her quality to vie astatine the level she would expect.

Asher-Smith's eighth-place decorativeness was not the show we expected to spot and it's hard to ideate the 27-year-old present making the 200m podium.

In that event, reigning champion Shericka Jackson is going to beryllium retired for revenge due to the fact that she truly wanted to triumph the 100m.

The Jamaican and Gabby Thomas person a large rivalry going on, portion Richardson, caller from her archetypal planetary gold, has tally the fourth-fastest 200m this twelvemonth aft St Lucia's Julien Alfred.

Michael Johnson was speaking to BBC Sport's Harry Poole.

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