American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson believed she was set for a “legendary season.” Three months later, fourth-place finishes have replaced much of the hype surrounding the American. Yet the 26-year-old remains one of the fastest women in the world this year, which makes one fan’s latest prediction all the more surprising. They don’t believe Richardson will finish first or second. Their reasoning was simple.

That user, named Track Trap God, believes that Richardson hasn’t fixed the one glaring problem she has. Her starts. 

“No,” Track Trap God wrote on X. “She will be third. Behind MJW and Juju. You looking at her up right running form, it does look superb. Post that ragedy a*** start that ain’t been fixed.

“She can’t win if she can’t get out with MJW and Juju. That fact has already been proven. Until she fixes that start, she will never be World’s Fastest Again,” they added. 

That, however, is a fair point. The 26-year-old is a notoriously slow starter, a flaw heavily exposed in the 100m where the start and acceleration phases are completely unforgiving. While the 200m gives her the runway to build maximum velocity and erase an early deficit, the shorter sprint leaves zero room for error.

We saw this vulnerability clearly during the early Diamond League circuit. In both Xiamen and Shanghai, Richardson struggled out of the blocks and simply ran out of track, finishing a disappointing fourth in the 200m with times of 22.38 and 22.42. However, since mid-June, the tide has turned, and the American sprinter looks to have found her rhythm just in time.

In fact, in her last three 100m races, Richardson has changed things around. So much so that despite a slow start — still faster than her norm — the 26-year-old registered 10.77 seconds. Only Adaejah Hodge (10.63) has run faster this season, with Shericka Jackson, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, and Julien Alfred all behind Richardson. 

More pertinently, it marks the first time in two years that Sha’Carri Richardson has broken the sub-10.80, last doing so at the 2024 Olympics. That changes when it comes to the 200m, as 21 women have registered better times in 2026 than Richardson’s season best of 22.38. That once again includes Hodge, Jackson, Jefferson-Wooden, and Julien Alfred, with only Jefferson-Wooden outside the top ten. 

Hodge leads the pack yet again with a personal best of 21.68. That’s exactly what fans are pointing to, although one fan believes it may largely be for another reason altogether. They wrote, “1) Melissa and 2) Julien are in their prime, 3) SaCarri seems beyond hers but a solid 3rd.”

That sparked a debate among track and field fans, with many coming out of the woodwork to argue whether Richardson still has what it takes.

Fans debate whether Sha’Carri Richardson will be 2026’s fastest woman

“Juju can’t finish when the pressure is on; she breaks down the final 10-20m. We’ve seen this before,” one fan wrote about Julien Alfred.

That doesn’t seem likely, but the fan pointed to examples of Alfred struggling. They used the 2023 NCAA 100 m and 200m, which she also won. The fan also wrote about her 2023 Hungary professional debut (win), the 2024 Zurich DL (second to Richardson), and the 2025 World Championships final (third to Jefferson-Wooden and Tina Clayton).

Barring the last two races, where Alfred was off the pace, the St Lucian star has won the others. However, race videos do show Alfred slowing down, not breaking down in the final 10-20m in the two races she lost.

Not quite a perfect showcase from the Olympic gold medalist, but enough to give Richardson a chance. It’s likely why one fan touched upon injuries, something that every sprinter has faced at some point in their career.

“Her last start was actually decent in the Diamond League. Unfortunately, a lot of this comes down to these girls staying healthy. Gabby Thomas seems to be in form again, too. Seville looked terrible. But you never hear about the limits from long-lasting or nagging injuries,” they wrote on X.

The start they are talking about is when Richardson clocked 22.38 in the 200 m at the Xiamen Diamond League. She finished fourth, behind Shericka Jackson (21.87), Shaunae Miller-Uibo (22.04), and Anavia Battle (22.29). However, as the user mentioned, the 26-year-old’s start was marginally better than her previous 200m, where she clocked 22.42 for fourth.

That, however, has replicated in the 100m as Richardson has steadily improved, hitting 10.99 in her first 100m race of the season at the USATF LA Grand Prix. She slowed down a touch during the Star Athletics Sprint Series heat before hitting 10.77 in the final. Whether that’s a sign she’s back to her best, only time will tell, but one fan certainly does believe in her.

That’s even if they’re rooting for someone else as they wrote, “If she’s back to form & running 10.71, etc., she’ll win plenty. If she’s back to 10.65, it’s anybody’s game.  They all need to fear @FastElaine if she’s healthy… “

The fan was talking about Elaine Thompson-Herah. Currently the fastest woman alive and the second-fastest woman of all time, the Jamaican has struggled. More so with injuries and less so with inconsistency, having recently withdrawn from the Jamaican Championships. The 33-year-old ran an impressive prelim round before not showing up for the final, with no update issued since.

Her health has been a concern, especially after her two-year injury layoff. Her comeback so far hasn’t quite gone to plan, but given her pedigree and talent, there’s no denying she’s a threat. 

For now, the debate around Richardson seems less about her speed and more about whether she can consistently use it. Her recent improvement has given supporters plenty of reason for optimism. However, with others thriving, every phase of her race will be under a microscope for the rest of the season.