"Like the greatest woman to ever enter the game didn't run in style"- Sha'Carri Richardson brings the flo-jo reference once again to call out haters

Sha'Carri Richardson was one of the more criticized athletes in the world for her fashion. But the US track queen rose above the criticism with her "I'm THAT girl" tag and confidence and is now celebrated as a style icon.

Richardson, 23, draws inspiration from the legendary sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner, commonly known as Flo-Jo. She told the Associated Press in 2021:

"The way she did that was graceful. I always liked that. If the amazing Flo-Jo had long nails, there was no excuse why I couldn't have long nails."

Richardson is now regarded for her bold style and self-expression. But back in 2019, she called out her haters in an Instagram post. Richardson had said:

"Y'all love talking about my hair & my nails like the greatest woman to ever enter the game didn't run in style."

The American sprinter had added:

"Keep hating the player and y'all right we gone let them keep talking."

Sha'Carri Richardson recently shared her 2021 image of Florence Griffith-Joyner on her Instagram story and captioned it with a few emojis of a heart being made by hands.

Sha'Carri Richardson's Instagram story

Richardson, has also been inspired by Wilma Rudolph, a world-record-holding Olympic champion of the 1950s and 1960s. The fastest woman in the world shared, back in 2021:

"Those two were the mix of the athlete I wanted to be. An athlete that shows I know where I came from and been through things, but I'm not going to allow that to define me, and to always present myself in a way that is dominant - but that is also appealing."

Sha'Carri Richardson keen to compete in the Paris Olympics

Despite winning the women's 100 metres in the 2021 US Olympic trials, Richardson had failed to qualify for the world championships because of marijuana use, and missed the Tokyo Games.

Day 8 - World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023

This time around, she has raised the bar by helping Team USA with a record-setting gold in the women's 4x100m and a bronze in the 200m. Richardson told the Track and Field News in December 2023 that they will not stop at the world championships, saying:

"We're not stopping at the world champion. We cannot stop at world champion, but it is a nice beginning. I'm a 1-2 runner, and I want you guys to see this."

From the lows of not competing in Tokyo, Richardson has come up stronger. She was named in the top-30 movers and shakers in sports "Forbes' Under 30 Class of 2024 list".