by Stuart WeirSha’ Carrie Richardson 1, British Media 1.
Sha’Carrie Richardson had her first media interview with British Media who can not help themselves in asking about Justin Gatlin and Dennis Mitchell. Sha’Carrie held her own.
Stuart Weir covered the presser for us, which was under embargo until UK 10 PM Friday night.
We look forward to seeing Sha’Carrie Richardson compete over 200m with Dina Asher-Smith on Sunday, May 23, 2021 in Gateshead, England.
And Stuart Weir will be there.
Sha’Carrie Richardson, Miramar Invite, April 10, 2021, photo by Kevin Morris/Kevmofoto
Sha’ Carrie Richardson is running the 100m in Gateshead at the Diamond League on Sunday evening. She has made her mark on the track already this year clocking 10.74 and 10.77 at the USATF Golden Games and 10.72 at Miramar Invitational in the past 2 months.
She won the 200m at the Golden Spike this week in 22.35, having run 22.11 earlier in the year.
In an opportunity for the British athletics writers to question her ahead of the Gateshead race she said she was not surprised to be running the times she was because she knew what she was capable of – but a little surprised the times had come so early in the season.
Sha’Carrie Richardson, Miramar Invite, April 10, 2021, photo by Kevin Morris/Kevmofoto
Asked about being the favorite for the Olympic gold medal, she replied: “Because the U.S. trials are so competitive, right now I’m just focusing on the trials. But it is definitely exciting if people are thinking that I am the favorite to win Olympic gold.” Incidentally she began her answers to the first three questions by correcting the questioner’s pronunciation of her name (Sha’ Kerrie not Sha’Caarrie). Her twitter handle is @itskerrii.
Sha’Carrie Richardson, Miramar Invite, April 10, 2021, photo by Kevin Morris/Kevmofoto
Of her European Diamond League debut she said: “It is my first world class race and I’m definitely excited. These are women I grew up watching compete – watching them win gold medals. I would say that I’m a tad nervous – not nervous but knowing that I need to be prepared because these ladies are professional and the best at what they do. But I can’t allow myself to be star struck. I just need to walk into Sunday as if it’s just another regular race”.
On her development since running 10.75 in 2019, she commented: “I would say that as an athlete, I’ve been through many different obstacles – since turning professional. I have changed coaches and had to deal with a pandemic. Mentally I’ve been challenged but I’d been able to grow through that 2019-21. I have grown a lot and I’ve changed a lot. I have had some of the best training have ever had in my life”.
A question about the flamboyant side of her character, brought perhaps the best insight into who she is: “I want people, especially women, to see that you can be exactly who you are. You don’t have to be quiet and shy and not express who you are because you do track. I feel the generations of women before us were like that – quiet and timid. I want to use my platform to show that you can be who you are. You don’t need to think that you can’t be who you are because of social media or because your career won’t allow it. And that’s a big message I would like to send. I just want to show that you can have a career and be who you are”.
She was asked about her decision to be coached by Dennis Mitchell and if she was worried about her reputation. She accepted the question, saying: “We had a conversation before he started training me and he was transparent with me. I know from the relationship we have that he will never put me in a position to be in something like that. Y’a’ll don’t have to worry about any doping situations. What we do in training is through the roof. I would back my Coach, Dennis Mitchell, 100%, 1000%. We were very transparent with each other I know I will never be in that situation. I Trust him 100%. and I’m a very transparent person when it comes to my athletic abilities. And I know my training. People who ask the questions don’t know what goes on in my training. They just believe what they read on the internet. So I’m not worried about my reputation. I know what I do and what I need to do and I know that these men [Mitchell and Justin Gatlin] will never put me in a position that I need to worry about my reputation. If anything, they make me more mindful to be aware of my reputation myself”. More than once she suggested to the group of journalists that she was on the inside while they only knew what they read.
A follow-up question about Dennis Mitchell was met with: “Excuse me, this interview is about me not about my coach. You can ask me another question but I don’t appreciate that question”.
For the British media, the story is about home favorite and World Champion, Dina Asher-Smith, facing the fastest in the world this year. It was not a narrative that interested Sha’ Carrie. Asked what she thought of the emergence of Dina Asher-Smith she replied that she did not know much about her emergence. When the questioner said that Dina was world champion, she replied: “The question was about her uprising and I said I didn’t know much about that. But I did see her win the world championship and she’s a great runner and an exciting runner. I am not discrediting her. I just didn’t want to comment on her personally as I don’t know her. I know that she’s a great athlete but I don’t know much about her”.
Later when she was asked her views on Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce running as a mom, she replied: “Again this interview is about Sha’ Carrie. I prefer not to talk about other athletes. They have their situation. I have my situation”. When the question was repeated, she replied directly to the questioner: “You are adamant about asking this question. I am actually very proud that she is a black woman who is continuing to have a family and have a career as well. She is a phenomenon. People think you can’t have a career and a family and she is showing people the opposite. She has all the respect from me for doing that and as an athlete”.
Sha’ Carrie had some interesting comments on drug-testing, recognizing the need for it for not really happy with how it works in practice. She said: “I definitely feel with the top sprinters that the doping agencies have a target on our back. I think that we are definitely targeted in a way that I want to say is inappropriate but I understand it because I want people to know that I don’t have to take a steroid, I don’t have to take a drug. My performance is literally a god-given talent and hard work. I follow the procedures although I don’t always agree with how they target top sprinters and how they invade our privacy. But I have to remember that the integrity of the sport is important for me. And that is supposed to be their purpose so I try to remember that and to show people that top sprinters can be top sprinters through talent and hard work and not because of anything else. You need to be on your toes. It’s just the smallest thing. You can miss a test if you take a quick trip and forget to do your whereabouts. I mean we have to be focused. We have to be attentive in updating our whereabouts; we can’t just be spontaneous. Being attentive in updating whereabouts is my definition of being on my toes”.
A great sprinter and an engaging human being. She have good answers to questions but at the same time was quite happy to confront anyone who was asking what she judged to be an inappropriate question!
