Sha’Carri Richardson makes shocking decision at Brussels Diamond League after 100m flop
World 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson will not be the star attraction in the 200m at the Diamond League Final in Brussels after pulling out of the race, a day after her 100m flop.
World 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson has withdrawn from the 200m at Diamond League final set to take place in Brussels on Saturday.
The American was set to be the headline act in the 200m but has pulled out of the race for unknown reasons, with Dutchwoman Tasa Jiya replacing her in the line-up.
It comes a day after Richardson had a disappointing 100m race on Friday when she finished in a shocking eighth position, in a time of 11.23 seconds, as St Lucia’s Julien Alfred claimed victory after clocking 10.88.
It was unlike Richardson in Friday’s race as she had poor start and struggled to recover, opting to slow down to the disappointment of her fans.
The Olympics silver medallist was to right those wrongs in the 200m on Saturday but she has decided to pull out with a number of theories thrown around as to why she might have opted out.
It has been a topsy-savvy season for the American who was considered hot favourite to win Olympics gold before Alfred floored her and fans had expected an epic battle in Brussels after she got her revenge over the St Lucien in Zurich a week ago but it was not to be.
In her absence, Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith and veteran Ivorian sprinter Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, are left as the big stars in the race, and will be joined by Americans Brittany Brown, Tamara Clark and Anavia Battle, Ta Lou-Smith’s Ivorian compatriot Maboundou Kone, and British duo of Daryll Neita and Amy Hunt.
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Asher-Smith missed out on the Diamond League title in the 100 meters narrowly to Julien Alfred, but has waxed lyrical about the reigning Olympic champion
Britain’s sprinting sensation Dina Asher-Smith had high praise for Saint Lucian star Julien Alfred following an electrifying 100m race in Brussels, where Alfred claimed the Diamond League trophy.
The Olympic champion edged out Asher-Smith by just four hundredths of a second, clocking 10.88 seconds to the Brit’s 10.92, capping off an extraordinary season in style.
Alfred’s victory continues her historic run, having won Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medals—a 100m gold and a 200m silver—at the Paris 2024 Games. Just as she had done in Paris, Alfred showcased her dominance, establishing an early lead by 30 meters that she never relinquished.
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Asher-Smith, who had been in stellar form since the Olympics, was Alfred’s closest challenger, nearly pulling off a dramatic victory in the final stages. “I’m really happy for Julien, she’s continuing her journey as the champion that she is,” Asher-Smith said after the race.
“She is a lovely person. Obviously, I was always rooting for myself, but as soon as I was in the final, I wanted Julien to do well, so just seeing her kind of put together such a great race, win the Olympics, and do it for her island as well, it was exciting to see.”
Alfred’s triumph not only solidifies her status as one of the brightest talents in the sprinting world, but it also sparked national celebrations in Saint Lucia.
The country has declared a national holiday on September 27 to honor her Olympic success, with plans for a motorcade parade and a mural of Alfred outside her primary school.
Asher-Smith, while reflecting on her own performance, expressed her excitement for Alfred’s upcoming homecoming. “I am looking forward to the pictures on social media when she goes home because I do not think she will be ready for the reception!” she joked.
The Brussels race also featured other notable sprinters, with Daryll Neita finishing fourth in 11.14 seconds and Sha’Carri Richardson, who struggled on the night, finishing eighth in 11.23 seconds.
For Asher-Smith, ending the season on a high after the disappointment of the Paris Olympics was a key takeaway from Brussels, even as she contended with cold conditions.
“At the end of the day, you always want to run fast. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first or the last race of the season,” she said. “But these performances give me a lot of courage for next year. And I’m used to the European weather, but still, it was cold today.”
