USAIN BOLT PROVED CORRECT ABOUT SHA'CARRI RICHARDSON AFTER RESPONSE TO OLYMPIC AGONY

Usain Bolt was correct about how Sha'Carri Richardson would respond after her disappointing finish in the women's 100m final in Paris at the Olympic Games.

At the Zurich Diamond League, Richardson avenged her loss to Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred, beating the Olympic gold medalist by the slimmest margins. After a slow start to the women's 100m at Letzigrund Stadium, Richardson crossed the finish line in first with a time of 10.84 after taking the lead with just meters to go until the line.

Alfred was close behind the 24-year-old, posting a time of 10.88 seconds, after leading for most of the race. Dina Asher-Smith and Marie Josee Ta Lou-Smith came in third and fourth, each with a time of 10.89 and 10.93 seconds, respectively.

• BREAKING: Sha'Carri Richardson beats Julien Alfred to avenge Olympic agony at first attempt
• Sha’Carri Richardson hasn't listened to Usain Bolt's advice after he made his feelings clear

Richardson's response to her heartbreak in Paris shows the Olympic star's mettle, though that is something Bolt has noticed about the American. In 2021 when Richardson missed out on the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Bolt spoke on her personality and noted how her demeanor impacts the sport as a whole.

"I like her energy because I think she’s good for the sport because her energy is different," he told Revolt. "It’s spicy, it’s a vibe.”

What's more, Bolt explained how his failures helped him reach new heights which, in turn, turned out to be true for Richardson at the Zurich Diamond League. "You will have failures throughout your career, it’s just one of those things," he added.

"In my first Olympics in Athens, I didn’t make it outside the first round. So, it’s just about being determined and pushing yourself, and just believing that you can do it, and just go and do your best."

Still, it appears Richardson listened to Bolt's previous advice in some ways. Speaking to the New York Post, Bolt noted how the American star needed to train more instead of paying attention to all the background noise and responding in turn.

"I would tell Sha’Carri to train harder and to be focused and not say too much," Bolt said. "If you talk that big talk you have to back it up. So just train hard and focus on that and try to come back do it and then talk about it."

Additionally, Richardson posted clips of her training for the 100m in the days leading up to the 100m in Zurich on social media. In the clips, Richardson was on a track stretching and listening to music as she got back into the mindset of beating her competitors.

Although Richardson won silver against Alfred in their meeting in Paris, the 24-year-old made up for the disappointment by helping Team USA win gold in the women's 4x100m relay race. During the race, Richardson famously looked at her opponents as she reached the finish line and explained what went through her mind.

"I looked over and I just knew that no matter what was going on, there was nobody that I was going to allow — even myself — to be in front of me," she said at the time. "I know that sounds crazy, but I was in that lane and feeling like I’m always my biggest competitor [so I had to] leave my best on the track.

"I wasn’t going to even allow myself to not cross that finish line in first place and not get that medal, or to let down those ladies and the support that we received when it comes to us crossing the finish line, in first place as Team USA.”

2024-09-05T20:15:26Z dg43tfdfdgfd