Sha’Carri Richardson suffered the same fate twice in a matter of five days. The American sprint star finished third in 10.97 seconds at the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday, trailing Julien Alfred and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. Interestingly, the result was a near-spitting image of her third-place finish at the Silesia Diamond League in 10.96 on Sunday, with the same two runners ahead of her. ‘Hurt’ is how she described her emotions later on Thursday.
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Zurich was a frustrating night for Richardson. Alfred stormed to a Saint Lucian national record of 10.70, while Jefferson-Wooden almost matched the time and finished just 0.005 seconds behind her. Richardson, meanwhile, was unable to stay with the leading pair and crossed the line in 10.97, only 0.01 seconds ahead of fourth-placed Tina Clayton, who ran 10.98.
The numbers also showed that Richardson did not get away from the blocks as quickly as the two athletes ahead of her. Her reaction time was 0.165 seconds, compared with 0.139 for Alfred and 0.144 for Jefferson-Wooden. While that does not mean her start alone cost her the race, it became part of the conversation among fans after another third-place finish.
“Please forget about getting a good start. Just run freely as you used to. Your strength has always been your top end speed,” one fan wrote on X.
Richardson agreed completely with the assessment, responding, “I agree a 1000%. Thank you for acknowledging the real! Another chance in Brussels! Next stop: Brussels!”
To that, another fan then shared their disappointment about Richardson’s second consecutive third-place finish, writing, “I am hurt girl! 😭😭😭.”
Richardson took time to reply to that fan as well, seconding that she too was hurt with her result.
“I am too trust me!” she replied. “However I’m not giving up and I’m moving forward for sure!! I always appreciate my fans that always support no matter what! Next Stop: Brussels!”
After the Zurich heartbreak, Richardson’s next opportunity to topple Alfred and Jefferson-Wooden will arrive on September 4-5 in Brussels. However, don’t let her recent lack of perfect results overshadow what has been an impressive 2026 season overall.
Sha’Carri Richardson Reached a “Phenomenal” High After National Title
Sha’Carri Richardson began her competitive year in Australia at the Stawell Gift, a 120m handicap race held on grass. Starting from the scratch mark, she had to chase runners who were given head starts of up to 10 metres. Richardson eventually won the final in 13.08 seconds, becoming only the third woman to win the women’s Stawell Gift from scratch.
“This is one of the most exciting, fun and entertaining track meets I’ve ever ran in. Not even just that, but the love, the true love and support for track and field, unbeatable,” Richardson said after winning (via the BBC).
She followed that up with another win in the women’s 4x100m relay at the Tom Jones Memorial in Florida, where the USA White team featuring Richardson, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kayla White clocked 41.70.
In May, Richardson turned her attention to the 200m as the Diamond League season got underway, where she managed only two fourth-place finishes in Shanghai and Xiamen.
The biggest change came in June when Richardson returned to the 100m. She opened her 2026 campaign over the distance at the LA Grand Prix on June 14 and won in 10.99 seconds, beating Kayla White and Tamari Davis. Two more consecutive wins followed a week later.
At the Star Athletics Sprint Series in Florida. Richardson stormed to another victory in 10.77 seconds with a legal +0.3 m/s wind, finishing well ahead of Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who ran 11.05. The 10.77 was Richardson’s fastest legal 100m in nearly two years and marked her 10th wind-legal sub-10.80.
She carried that momentum into July, where her strongest result of the season came at the U.S. Championships. Richardson won her opening-round heat in 10.90 before producing another 10.77 in the final to claim her third national title.
“It feels phenomenal to be back in a better place. Healthy, physically, mentally, and emotionally,” Richardson told NBC Sports after the race. “It shows that hard work pays off.”
By the end of July, Richardson had every reason to feel confident about her season. August, however, brought a different challenge, one she has yet to conquer.