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2021 Prefontaine Classic

Source: Jonathan Ferrey / Getty

American track fans eagerly tuned in to the Prefontaine Classic Saturday afternoon, hoping to catch a glimpse of Sha’Carri Rirchadson rocking the international field of competitors. But it was Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah, not Richardson, who wowed the crowd. 

Clocking in at 10.54 seconds, Thompson-Herah blew past the competition easily clinching victory in the women’s 100m at Hayward Field. A part of the Jamaican trio that swept the women’s 100m in Tokyo, World Athletics tweeted Thompson-Herah earned the second-fastest time in the competition’s history and set a Diamond League record. The run was also a personal best for Thompson-Herah.

Unfortunately, Saturday was not Richardson’s day. Finishing last out of the nine competitors, Richardson’s return did not live up to the hype of her return. 

Many commentators positioned the race at Hayward Field, as Richardsons come back. A fierce line-up of nine Black women from around the globe, Sports Illustrated called the event a stronger representation of talent given Richardson’s addition.

As #MeToo founder Tarana Burke said this just wasn’t her time. It’s one race in the larger scheme of Richardson’s professional career.

Other Twitter users called out people happy about Richardson’s loss. 

American track fans got a major treat in watching Athing Mu in the women’s 800m. She had a phenomenal time of 1 minute 55:04 seconds, setting a new American record. Mu said she hadn’t really processed her success in a post-race interview and was waiting for a much-needed vacation to decompress. Mu took gold in the 800m race in Tokyo and kept her head down just getting ready for each race. 

Overlooked by many, the 19-year-old Mu has been breaking records left and right. She shaved 17 seconds off her winning Olympic time at the Prefontaine Classic. Her Olympic win was Team USA’s first gold in the women’s 800m in more than 50 years.

Mu also anchored the women’s 4×400 in Tokyo, bringing home yet another gold medal. A student at Texas A&M, she is the first Aggie to win gold in an individual competition.

USA Today reported it was the 7th consecutive gold for the team since the 1996 Olympics. Track phenom Allyson Felix ran the second leg during 4×400 helping to bring the U.S. women’s team to victory.

That race gave Felix her 11th Olympic medal, making her the most decorated track athlete in U.S. history, surpassing track legend Carl Lewis. Felix returned to the field Saturday, competing in the women’s 200m but finished last out of a field of eight. 

In a post-race interview, Felix said she competed Saturday to show her appreciation. “That’s really the reason that I came, just to say thank you, gratitude, there was so much love leading up to trials, it was so intense,” said Felix during an interview. “To come back off of that here, I just wanted to show my appreciation”

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Sha’Carri Richardson Loses 100m At Prefontaine Classic As Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah Blows Past Competition  was originally published on newsone.com