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American track athlete Sha'Carri Richardson is set to face Olympic rivals, Julien Alfred and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic. The event is scheduled to be held in Eugene on July 5.
Richardson, Alfred, and Jefferson-Wooden were part of the 100m final at the 2024 Paris event that saw Alfred win the race. As per recent reports, the trio will now be running the 100m in Eugene in an Olympic final rematch.
However, Sha'Carri Richardson has not been able to prepare for the race as much as her rivals, Alfred and Jefferson-Wooden. The reigning 100m World Champion only has one race under her belt this season, which came in May.
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In comparison, Alfred has already competed in and won two consecutive Diamond League events in Oslo and Stockholm, respectively. On the other hand, Jefferson-Wooden hasn't lost a single 100m race in her season so far, winning all three Grand Slam Track races in Kingston, Philadelphia, and Miami.
The Olympic final was the last time Richardson faced Jefferson-Wooden in a race, while for Alfred, they battled it out at the Diamond League finals last year. Alfred won the race while Richardson finished eighth.
However, with the prowess that Sha'Carri Richardson has, the race will be a blockbuster for the track fans. It will be one of the major highlights from the prestigious Prefontaine Classic 2025. Notably, Richardson was also the 100m winner of the competition last year, clocking a time of 10.83 seconds.
Sha'Carri Richardson makes feelings known on competing for Team USA
Sha'Carri Richardson shared her emotions on competing for a successful track team, such as the US national team. Across her career, Richardson has been part of both the World and Olympic teams.
Richardson expressed her pride in competing for Team USA as a black woman and mentioned that she wants to pave a pathway for those aspiring athletes who are underconfident of reaching this pinnacle. She said (via USA Today):
"To have the brand Team USA across my chest represents a level of pride ― that I am as a Black woman, knowing that where I come from ― [which] continues to represent a certain level of resilience that my I am my ancestors wildest dreams, and I will continue to, you know, open that door up to anybody that feels like that door has been closed on them."
She added further:
"As well as wearing Team USA across my chest, it represents a country that is always gonna show up and show out"
During the conversation, Richardson also mentioned that when athletes are competing for Team USA, they don't have any other option but to give their best on the track.
