Last year, Sha’Carri Richardson stood atop the sprinting world, claiming gold in the Women’s 4x100m Relay and silver in the 100m. But 2025 has tested the 25-year-old like never before. A February injury derailed her season, turning it into a rollercoaster of setbacks both emotionally and personally. Yet, Richardson refuses to stall her rise. Already qualified for the World Championships as the reigning champion, she now faces injuries, a turbulent season, and personal struggles — yet remains determined to reclaim her place among sprinting’s elite. But but but…

Following in Florence Griffith-Joyner’s footsteps, Sha’Carri draws inspiration from ‘Flo-Jo,’ channeling her legendary style on the track. “Flo Jo’s influence on me definitely comes from her creativity and her freedom to express herself in a way that no other female athlete has ever done,” shared Richardson. And why not? FloJo was one of the most stylish sprinters to date, and her world records in the 100m (10.49) and 200m (21.34) have stood unchallenged for over three decades now. Yet, despite these feats, recently both icons were surprisingly overlooked when an NFL star weighed in on the GOAT debate.

The Chicago Bears were asked to name the greatest female athlete. Alongside Simone Biles and Serena Williams, one name stood out — Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. The question came just before Bears’ matchup against the Buffalo Bills, and the sprint queen stole the spotlight. Well, who took the name? Mark Perry, the 24-year-old safety. He asserted that none comes closer than Fraser-Pryce, snubbing the likes of Sha’Carri Richardson and Florence Griffith-Joyner. Could you have guessed such an answer?

Let’s get to the Jamaican legend’s story. Known as the ‘Pocket-Rocket,’ Fraser-Pryce is one of the fastest to have ever lived. Winning three Olympic golds, four silvers, one bronze, and an unmatched 10 World Championship titles, including a record five in the 100m, her legacy is unmatched. In fact, after giving birth in 2017, she came back to the Olympic scene, claiming bronze in the 100m at Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021), becoming the first mother in 24 years to hold a position on the podium for Olympic sprints. Now, she is in the final chapter of her track-and-field career. But despite that, she is having a better season than Richardson.

After her injury, Richardson clocked 11.47 seconds in the Tokyo Golden Grand Prix. To put it into perspective, her personal best is 10.65 seconds. At the U.S. Championships in Eugene, Richardson ran her season-best 11.07 seconds in the first round and advanced, but then withdrew from the 100m semifinals. Although she is already qualified for the 100m World Championships, her injuries, poor season, and relationship troubles might hold her back.

And on the other hand, Fraser-Pryce began her year in April at the Velocity Fest in Kingston, winning the event. After that, she returned to the Diamond League in Doha and then traveled to Guangzhou for the World Athletics Relays, where Jamaica secured bronze in the 4×100. In her final national championships in Kingston, the Jamaican thrilled the home crowd by clocking 10.91 seconds to finish third behind Tina Clayton and Shericka Jackson, earning her last ticket to Tokyo.

As we talk about Richardson, we wonder why Florence Griffith-Joyner was snubbed, too? ‘Flo-Jo’ set unmatched world records in the 100m (10.49) and 200m (21.34) in 1988, which stand to date. However, her 3×gold and 2×silver Olympic medals, along with 2×gold at the World Championships, don’t come close to Fraser-Pryce’s 3×gold, 4×silver, and 1×bronze at the Olympics, plus 10 World Championship titles. However, it seems fair why Fraser-Pryce and ‘Flo-Jo’ are often compared in the GOAT debate. The verdict might finally emerge at the Tokyo World Championships, where Fraser will need to deliver something as extraordinary as ‘FloJo’ did to stake her claim as the greatest of all time.

And talking about the two, how can we ignore their cultural impact! In addition to her amazing career, FloJo was kind of a fashion icon, too. In the 1987 World Championships in Rome, she debuted in a hooded speed-skating suit, which caught everyone’s attention. And in 1988, she switched to her signature “one-legger” running suit—featuring one full-length leg, bold colors like lime green and purple.

This same cultural recognition comes from Fraser-Pryce, as well. Her colorful wigs. “It’s just who I am and celebrating the different things that I do to feel confident and to have a good time… So, now, when it’s time to go on a track, I want to be happy. I want to be perky, I want to have fun, and I still want to show young girls that it’s okay to be different and have your personality and still have fun with it,” shared Shelly-Ann in an interview during World Athletics Championships Oregon22. Now, with her career chapter seemingly coming to the finishing line, Shelly has been engaged in a crucial rivalry with Richardson. And as they are about to come H2H after 2 long years, that rivalry discussion is bound to make its rounds…

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sha’Carri Richardson’s rivalry

The rivalry between Sha’Carri Richardson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is nothing new, and it has quickly become one of the most anticipated things in the sport recently. Their head-to-head battles have been tightly contested, with Richardson holding a slight edge 1–1.

• 2021 Prefontaine Classic: Fraser-Pryce defeated Richardson, finishing second in 10.73 seconds, while Richardson placed last in 11.14 seconds.
• 2023 World Championships: Richardson clinched her first World title with a personal best of 10.65 seconds, defeating Fraser-Pryce, who settled for bronze with a time of 10.77 seconds.

Despite their rivalry, Richardson has a deep respect for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. In an interview during the 2023 World Athletics Championships, she exclaimed, “I just want to say she’s an amazing athlete. I literally grew up watching her… It took great effort, and honestly, it was going to take literally my best to come forward and be able to compete. Knowing that she’s been doing this and can continue to pull on the podium every single time shows me that I have a journey, I have something to do, I have more to do.” The deep respect you must say!

Now, years after their last Budapest meet, these two track queens will once again face each other at the Brussels Diamond League on 22nd August. With a rivalry spanning half a decade, both have some unfinished business, and as Shelly is entering the final chapter of her career, she might want to emulate someone on the level of ‘Flo-Jo.’