Sha’Carri Richardson was on the verge of finishing the kind of Hollywood-scripted redemptive arc when she landed in Paris three years after testing positive for marijuana and letting an Olympic berth elude her.

It seemed that a trip that began with the disappointment of not being able to compete in Tokyo would conclude on the rain-soaked purple track of Stade de France with exuberant triumph.

Instead, Saturday served as a reminder that fairytale endings are seldom in real life. Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia escaped Richardson with astonishing ease, winning first place and her Caribbean nation’s first-ever Olympic medal by racing past the finish line in a scorching 10.72 seconds.

Richardson had an awful start that made winning the gold very impossible after the first 30 meters, finishing second in 10.87 seconds. To separate herself from the rest of the field and take home the silver, she had to rely solely on her top pace throughout the second part of the race.

Richardson blew by reporters about fifteen minutes after the race and refused to answer any questions. Her only words came after one of the reporters mispronounced her initial name upon addressing her.

“It’s Sha’Carri,” she said in a clumsy voice.

Richardson, one of the most well-known competitors in the Paris Olympics, was under tremendous pressure to win the gold and live up to her pre-race favourite reputation. For months, her self-assured grin and signature acrylic nails have been synonymous with the United States thanks to NBC’s intense marketing campaign, a Vogue cover shoot, and advertisements for Olay, Nike, Sprite, Oikos, and PowerAde.

Three of the few women in the world who possess the pace to take on an in-form Richardson weren’t on the shocking line alongside her on Saturday night.

Elaine Thompson-Herah has missed the majority of the season due to an Achilles issue. Another Jamaican superstar, Shericka Jackson, withdrew from a July tune-up race due to a calf issue and chose to concentrate solely on the 200 in Paris. Just one day after setting the second-fastest time in the preliminary round, Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, unexpectedly withdrew before Saturday’s semifinals.

Alfred, a former University of Teas standout who won the women’s 100-meter NCAA titles in 2022 and 2023, was the only remaining contender. In the second semifinal on Saturday, Alfred prevailed over Richardson and then increased the lead threefold when it counted most.

To Alfred, it means a great deal. “I had no doubt that Saint Luciens would be cheering on their team and hoping for their first Olympic medal. They’re undoubtedly rejoicing right now.

Nothing in athletics is simpler than the 100 meters, but Richardson’s journey to the Stade de France finish line was anything but straightforward. She has experienced more phases in the last three years than Taylor Swift: she was “That girl,” she was suspended and in pain, she was angry with the world, and then she said, “I’m not back, I’m better.”

August 2021 saw Richardson compete in her first race following her suspension, against many of the same ladies she would have faced in an Olympic final had she been in Tokyo. This was her opportunity to demonstrate that her attendance would have stopped a Jamaican sweep.

That day, Richardson came in last, trailing not just the three Jamaican medallists but also the five other contestants. After that, she addressed her detractors head-on in a defiant trackside interview with Lewis Johnson of NBC.

She said, “Count me out if you want to.” “Speak as much as you want. since I intend to stay here. I have not finished. In this game, I’m the sixth-fastest woman ever. No one can ever take that away from me.”

Richardson was for a period one of the most divisive track and field athletes due to social media feuds and other issues. Richardson blasted reporters present at the 2022 USA National Championships for supposedly treating her and other athletes disrespectfully. She also made the error of offending some of her rivals from Jamaica on X, which infuriated the nation’s vociferous supporters.

The Richardson of that age is not much like the one with whom a large portion of America has become reacquainted this summer. She has resumed her training, taken long pauses from social media, and she no longer gets upset easily at those who she believes are criticising her. It is even easy for many Jamaican supporters to support her.

Richardson’s only reflection on her past these days is a five-word phrase that she has been saying nonstop for the past year: “I’m not back, I’m better.” Since then, she has demonstrated that on the track, taking home the gold in the 100 meters at the World Championships from Lane 9 and then qualifying for Paris with the fastest time in the world thus far this year.

Richardson stated earlier this summer at the U.S. Olympic Trials, “I’ve grown just a better understanding of myself in the past three years.” “A greater sense of gratitude and respect for the gift I possess in athletics, as well as my obligation to those who encourage and believe in me. All of those elements, in my opinion, have contributed to my growth and will do so in the future.

Paris Games Medal Count

Rank	Country	G	S	B	Total
1	United States	33	39	39	111
2	China	33	27	23	83
3	Great Britain	14	20	23	57
4	France	14	20	22	56
5	Australia	18	16	14	48

In the middle of July, Richardson, along with her training partners Twanisha Terry and Melissa Jefferson, travelled to Paris with her teacher Dennis Mitchell. Terry stated that Mitchell gave his three sprinters the pre-race advise to “just look down the track when you go out there.” Remain concentrated. Don’t search for people by looking up.

With a gold medal within reach with only a 100-meter race remaining, Richardson gazed down the track. Shortly after, Alfred was scurrying off with it.