Sha’Carri Richardson might have struggled on the track after her comeback, but she gained a lot of fame in 2021. Despite losing out on the chance for her first Olympic appearance, Richardson has attracted a huge fan base through her personality and capabilities.

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Notably, the young star has also surpassed some huge names in sports. The American athlete defeated tennis icon, and one of the world’s highest-paid women athletes, Naomi Osaka in social media statistics.

Sha’Carri Richardson above Naomi Osaka by a margin

In the 2021 season, Sha’ Carri had a rivalry with many women athletes in track and field. In fact, she even got into some fiery social media war with Jamaican stars, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah. However, on the track, she failed to surpass them.

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Interestingly, she might not be able to outclass her rivals on the track, but she has beaten a popular tennis star, Naomi Osaka in terms of the number of most followers gained on social media. In 2021, Sha’Carri gained way more followers than? Osaka.

The American athlete secured 485,000 new followers, while Osaka gained ?396,000 new followers. However, the tennis superstar has more followers in total.

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Remarkably, Simone Biles topped the list, with ?635,000 new followers followed by young US Open 2021 winner, Emma Raducanu, who attracted 620,000 followers.

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Read More: Justin Gatlin Reveals How He Motivated Sha?Carri Richardson to Keep Pushing After Embarrassing Prefontaine Classic Finish

A look back at Sha’Carri’s 2021 season

21-year-old Sha’Carri had an incredible start as she produced a terrific performance in the US Olympic trials for Tokyo. Sadly, her maiden dreams were shattered when she faced the setback of the ban, forcing her to postpone her outing.

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Sha'Carri Richardson

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Despite the ban, the young prodigy gained a lot of support from her fans, who were looking forward to watching her in Tokyo. Fans were eagerly waiting for her comeback, but to their surprise, she couldn’t secure the top positions in any race.

Nevertheless, the American upcoming sprinting star has a lot of potential and years on her side to prove her dominance. Do you think in the 2022 season Sha’Carri Richardson will make her mark in track and field sport? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Read More: Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka Feature Amongst the Top 5 Glorious Female Athletes

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Shreya Verma

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Shreya Verma is a US Sports Content Strategist at EssentiallySports, with a focus on Olympic sports and athlete storytelling, covering beats like tennis, gymnastics, basketball, track and field, wrestling, and more. A qualified National Level air pistol shooter, she brings the unique perspective of both an athlete and a journalist to her work. Over the past four years at EssentiallySports, she has covered some of the biggest sporting stages, from managing the Olympic Sports desk during the Winter Olympics 2022 to spearheading the US Open 2025 coverage and content strategy. In 2024, she was on the ground in Paris for the Summer Olympics, where she interviewed legends and rising stars, including Carl Lewis, Laurie Hernandez, Fred Kerley, Noah Lyles, Quincy Hall, and Grant Holloway, who memorably offered her the chance to try on his gold medal. She also connected with icons and fan favorites such as Tom Brady, Katie Ledecky, Tara Davis & Hunter Woodhall, Andy Murray, Ilona Maher, Kevon Williams, Jonathan Owens, and Neeraj Chopra, while capturing emotional family perspectives from Nellie Biles, Jordan Chiles’ mother, Suni Lee’s mother, and Katie Ledecky’s brother, Michael. Her journalism is marked by authenticity, access, and a deep passion for highlighting perseverance and human connection in sports. Inspired by Olympic champions like Allyson Felix and Vincent Hancock, Shreya continues to carve her path as a storyteller.

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