Disappointment Continues for Sha’Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles & Others as They Suffer Another Big Miss
Let’s go back to the 2023 World Championships. Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles were on top of the world, having dominated their events. Two golds for Sha’Carri and three for Noah. So, coming into the Olympics this year, the expectations were quite high. But before they failed to accomplish part of their goals in Paris, a track and field legend had made a striking remark, one that seems to have resonated in a list that Sports Illustrated recently released.
Richardson beats Alfred in 100m as Olympians shine
American world champion Sha’Carri Richardson gained some revenge for her Olympic defeat by St Lucia’s Julien Alfred with victory in the women’s 100m final at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich.
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Alfred became her country’s first Olympic medallist after winning gold in Paris as Richardson took silver, with the St Lucian also claiming a silver in the 200m.
But American Richardson took victory in Switzerland in a strong field on Thursday, winning in 10.84secs.
Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith – who failed to reach that Olympic final – finished third, while compatriot Daryll Neita came seventh.
In the men’s 200m final, meanwhile, Botswana’s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo continued his brilliant form to claim victory in 19.55secs as Americans Kenneth Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton finished second and third respectively.
The highly-anticipated men’s 1500m lived up to the expectation with a tight finish as Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse beat the in-form Jakob Ingebrigtsen to claim victory.
American Nuguse finished one place ahead of Ingebrigtsen, as he did in Paris, while Olympic champion Cole Hocker came third.
Britain’s world champion Josh Kerr, who won Olympic silver, had to settle for fifth place.
In the women’s 800m, Britain’s Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Georgia Bell was second behind Kenya’s Mary Moraa, with GB’s Jemma Reekie in fourth.
Sweden’s Olympic champion Armand Duplantis continued his impressive all-round form with victory in the men’s pole vault.
Success for the Swede followed his victory in a 100m exhibition race against 400m hurdler Karsten Warholm on Wednesday.
The penultimate Diamond League meeting – before next week’s two-night final in Brussels – also saw Kenyan double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet set a world leading time of 14mins 9.52secs in the women’s 5,000m.
Chebet was not the only gold medal winner from Paris to star on the night. Ukraine’s Olympic champion and world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the high jump, American Ryan Crouser took the shot put and his compatriot Grant Holloway won the 110m hurdles in an impressive 12.99secs.
Sha’Carri Richardson avenged her 2024 Paris Olympics disappointment at the Diamond League track and field meet in Switzerland on Thursday.
A month after falling to her in the Summer Games, Richardson took down Saint Lucian sprinter Julien Alfred in the 100-meter final.
The American sprinter started out behind Alfred in what appeared to be a repeat of her letdown in Paris before mounting a comeback, passing her rival in the final stretches of the race.
