Is Sha'Carri Richardson set for another disastrous Olympics after back-to-back losses?

Sha'Carri Richardson's brace of disappointing performances in the Diamond League has started stirring conversations questioning her readiness for Paris. Does she have what it takes to posses the top consistency and mental capacity like her Jamaican rivals?

Sha'Carri Richardson's start to the 2024 season has been a little sluggish, having back-to-back Diamond League defeats in underwhelming times. With this, it raises the question - is she set for another disastrous Olympic year?

The world's fastest woman lost her first race of the season at the Xiamen Diamond League, in which 19-year-old Aussie sensation Torrie Lewis edged her at the finish line in 22.96s (-0.4) to 22.99s. A week later in Suzhou, Richardson failed to replicate a better performance, settling for the third position in one of her slowest career times ever in 23.11s.

Her brace of disappointing performances is now stirring several conversations among track enthusiasts, questioning her readiness for Paris and whether she has what it takes to have the top consistency and mental capacity like her Jamaican rivals.

Consequently, her form has been a far cry from her iconic 2023 season, where her first race saw her brilliantly run a blazing wind-aided 10.75s in the heat and a jaw-dropping 10.57s (4.1) in the final.

And in her first Diamond League race in Doha, she was victorious over her fierce rival Shericka Jackson in a blistering 10.76s. Richardson will later clock the most sub-11s time (12) for the rest of the year, highlighted by her 10.65s winning performance at the world championships in Budapest, thus earning the bragging rights of the world's fastest woman. 

Although there has been an interchange in her event started this year, by focusing more on her weaker 200m, the appalling times dropped is still a cause for concern.

It becomes apparent to question if she's heading for another disastrous Olympic year like in Tokyo 2021 or being distracted by her fame and influence off-track.

Richardson's off-track escapades have been the most engaging based on bagging lucrative endorsement deals and having the biggest influence of a track and field athlete.   

She has done numerous Ads, partnerships, and collaborations with top brands such as Whoop, Android, Jacquemus, Sprite, etc, making her the face of the sport this year.

But are all these distractions to the bigger goals of having consecutive years of track success by making the US Olympic team and upsetting her Jamaican rivals again with the 100/200m titles in Paris to prove she's indeed 'Back and Better' and the current queen of the sport?

There's also the consideration of being strategic with showcasing too much of her current form - after all, the Jamaican 'Big 3' of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shericka Jackson are yet to make their season debuts, therefore keeping everyone in the oblivion of their training progress.

Whatever the case is, Richardson and her strong managerial team will have it sorted in due time. Also, it's too early to judge the outcome of her Olympic year based on her first two races of the season.

The most vital target for track and field athletes is to peak at the right time for a major championship. Hopefully, Richardson will trust the process with her coach, regain her confidence, and avoid a devastating latter stage of the season heading to Paris.