Track has dabbled with the concept of super matches, but one poster that suggested a 100-meter matchup with Sha’Carri Richardson versus Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce created discord with fans of the sport. World Athletics put out a poster on social media that featured the images of Sha’Carri Richardson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in a race, and fans believed it crazy to place the two together in that way.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is considered a superior runner to Richardson, so the concept of them as a super match seemed questionable to some. Also, Sha’Carri was on the left side of the poster, which in boxing means the A-side or the one to beat. Although the sport is drastically different than pugilism, the nuance of who was being marketed as the draw on the poster did not go unnoticed.
Testy Tweeting
So when World Athletics deleted the tweet from World Athletics with the poster, speculation was that they caved from the public’s displeasure. Track legend Michael Johnson weighed in on the conversation.
“Fans say we need more personalities, more head to head matchups,” Johnson tweeted. “We also need more drama. @WorldAthletics posts the tweet below and fans are outraged…about who belongs on a poster! So they’ve now deleted the tweet.”
World Athletics responded to Johnson in an attempt to clear the air on the now-deleted tweet.
“The tweet was deleted because there was a miscommunication on which event the athletes were entered in,” the tweet began. “As things stand, Shelly-Ann is racing the 100m, and Sha’Carri will line up in the 200m instead.”
The World Athletics Indoor Championships is held every two years and provides three action-packed days of intense competition in an intimate arena where fans can see many of the world’s best athletes at close range. The poster implied the two would go head-to-head at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix on April 29th.
Levels To This
Richardson knows the ups and downs of track life, and she has tasted defeat against Fraser-Pryce before. Last year, the sprinter had her final meet of the season at the Zurich Diamond League 100 meters, where she came in last to close out her season. The Jamaican Fraser-Pryce dashed to win the women’s 100m in 10.65 seconds, claiming her fifth win in last year’s season-ender in front of more than 25,000 fans at the Letzigrund Stadium in Switzerland.
More recently, Richardson performed at the Texas Relays over the weekend, running anchor for the USA STARS 4×100 team. Richardson showcased impressive form. Although she received the baton slightly behind, she pulled her team ahead and held off Gabby Thomas at the finish line for second place in 42.10 seconds. Richardson also recorded the fastest anchor split of the race, clocking in with a time of 10.02 seconds on the final leg.
Fraser-Pryce recently blew by the competition at a playful parent’s race at her son’s school. Fraser-Pryce is a multi-time Olympic gold medalist with a legacy secured at 36 years old. Whether World Athletics made a mistake or tested the fan’s appetite for a matchup will never be known, but the people’s opinions are.
More news from our partners:
Jalen Rose Thinks Collusion Is Keeping Lamar Jackson From Getting Fully Guaranteed Paid
How Shaq Is Building a Big Chicken Empire Inspired By Mom’s Cooking
