Sha’Carri Richardson Prepares for Redemption With Her Iconic Pre-Event Ritual

Let’s rewind to 2024, when Sha’Carri Richardson was at the peak of her career, striking gold in the Women’s 4x100m relay and silver in the 100m at the Paris Olympics. It was her defining year. But before those medal-winning runs, she made a statement off the track.

Sha’Carri turned heads by rocking the official Team USA kit with bold, squared nails in the colors of the flag. This signature pre-race ritual blends athleticism with unapologetic fashion. Fast forward to 2025. While her racing journey hasn’t been as smooth, back-to-back setbacks have tested her confidence. But giving up isn’t in her DNA. With the Tokyo World Championships on the horizon, she’s ready to hit the big stage again, and yes, she’s doing it in classic, fearless Sha’Carri style.

Before the reigning world champion takes to the global stage, she follows a ritual that is necessary for her victories. Following in the footsteps of her idol, Florence Griffith-Joyner, Richardson changes her look ahead of every major event. And just as the Tokyo World Championships are in hindsight, she treated fans to a glimpse of her latest masterpiece through her Instagram story: Long, pointed nails adorned with bold, patterned polish.

The “Nail Cam” featured her thumb with a bold silver ring and a soft pink floral design, while the index finger dazzles with a striking 3D motif, perhaps a butterfly, accented by green gemstones. The middle finger keeps it elegant with a natural base, a green gem near the cuticle, and subtle leafy details at the tip with hues of orange, white, and green. The ring finger steals attention with a bold white flower against a pink backdrop, and the pinky adds a final flourish with a textured metallic gold waves adorned with 3D art. Rightfully, the story read, “Trendsetter 🙈🤫”

For Sha’Carri Richardson, this is more than fashion; it’s a signature ritual. Beyond the Paris Olympics and her latest showcase, she’s always had a flair for bold, textured designs. We’ve seen it time and again, like at the 2023 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, where each nail was flaunted with eye-catching and bright colors.

And this might have to do with her inspiration from FloJo. The three-time Olympic gold medalist in track and field possibly changed the game with her fashion back in the ’80s-’90s. She was one of the first athletes to popularize the asymmetrical one-legged racing suit, which became her trademark during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Not only that, FloJo wore neon hues, animal prints, and bold patterns, marking herself as an artist-athlete. She became a winner in every sense!

Talking about her inspiration, Richardson, in her conversation with the Associated Press back in 2021, stated, “The way she did that was graceful. I always liked that. If the amazing Flo-Jo had long nails, there was no excuse why I couldn’t have long nails.” And that’s not all.

In her conversation with People, she explained why she is so fashionable when it comes to her style. “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. Showing beauty, yet being able to show hard work.”

Confident in her abilities, she kicked off the season, only for February to bring an injury that derailed her plans and turned the year into a rollercoaster of setbacks. However, despite all the chaos surrounding her, she has not given up on defending her world championship title.

Sha’Carri Richardson’s bold confession about the harsh 2025 season

This season has been nothing short of chaotic for Richardson. She began the year with confidence, aiming to build on her 2024 masterclass, but an unspecified injury completely derailed her plans. She managed to return later in the season, starting with the Golden Grand Prix in Tokyo back in May. However, her performance shocked everyone as she clocked 11.47 seconds, her slowest time since 2021. At the Prefontaine Classic, her second 100m outing ended with her finishing last in her heat.

If that wasn’t enough, her USATF campaign went horribly wrong.

Along with the arrest drama involving her boyfriend, Christian Coleman, she also failed to qualify for the 200m final, missing out by just 0.01 seconds. After all the hubbub, she finally managed to secure a podium finish at the Brussels Diamond League, coming in second with a time of 11.08 seconds. Now, she remains hopeful.

Last month, Richardson posted an Instagram story with the message, “SEE YALL SEPT 13 😘,” a direct reference to the opening day of the World Championships in Tokyo.

With the Tokyo World Championships in her sights, the reigning 100m world champion will be looking to outpace her opponents. But with strong competition from Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Julien Alfred, will she be able to make her mark?