The track and field world is currently going through an upheaval of sorts, and Sha’Carri Richardson is leading the fight in her own way. For a long time, athletes have questioned the ridiculously low amount of prize money and endorsements that are prevalent in the athletics world. However, Sha’Carri Richardson believes that the amount has stooped so low now that it’s become disrespectful to the athletes who compete. This is especially hurtful when compared to the champion of a hot dog-eating contest that won $2000 more than the prize money of the winner in USATF.

Joey Chestnut, an American competitive eater, ate 62 hot dogs to clinch the first prize and took home $10,000. Compared to that, the winner of USATF gets $8000. This is exactly the disparity that is bothering Richardson.

Sha’Carri Richardson is fed up with the blatant disrespect toward track athletes

Sha’Carri Richardson recently tweeted, “USATF Championship this weekend first place only gets $8,000. What would y’all do if decide to boycott because the disrespect is bold now. Then see us at meets and try to smile in our faces when half of the athletes you speak to are the same people y’all are hurting!!”

Although her tweet might be a direct pointer toward Chestnut’s victory, it was more of a bent-up frustration at how track athletes are being treated by the sporting world. Money may not be the only factor for athletes to run, but it’s the extremely low amount in comparison to other sports that screams disrespect, as per Richardson.

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Richardson’s tweet was in reply to a tweet by Daily Loud that went, “BREAKING: Joey Chestnut wins his 16th hot dog eating contest. He ate 62 glizzies to win $10,000”. Glizzies is just another word for hot dogs. American competitive eating is a sport that garners a lot of attention in the States. However, whether it’s prize money should be higher than a national-level athletics event is something up for debate.

Track and field facing some tough times ahead

Either way, the fact that the prize money amount is lower in track events is something even Olympic gold winner Michael Johnson touched upon some time ago and discussed its causes in length. Sha’Carri Richardson, who is merely 23 years old, and is reaching monumental heights in her career this year, would’ve certainly felt motivated and respected if the prize money was higher.

Higher prize money doesn’t just mean more wealth, but also what the organizers feel about the sport and its athletes and how much they respect them. This comes on the heels of the TV rights of the USATF being shifted from NBC to CNBC and USATF TV, which in itself was controversial enough and Richardson has raised her voice against it too. She is trying everything in her way to keep track and field a viable sport, something that inspires the next generation and they could also rely on it as their occupation.

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