Sha’Carri Richardson is accused of having snubbed mainstream media to speak to a black reporter after winning the gold medal in the women’s 100-meter final in Hungary on Monday.
Sha’Carri won the sprint both in record time and in style as she recorded a time of 10.65 seconds, waving to the crowd right before she crossed the finish line.
Of course, reporters lined up to interview her after the race. But a video shows her walking right past a group of media members, telling them “No, thank you,” right after speaking to a black journalist.
Several social media accounts have posted the clip, with one captioned: “Sha’Carri didn’t stop to talk to ANY of the media, saying, “No, thank you!” She ONLY stopped to talk to these black journalists!”
Check it out right below:
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A Jamaican outlet subsequently posted her interview.
Despite the claims, it does appear that Richardson spoke to mainstream media as she was quoted by the Associated Press as saying:
“All the heavy hitters were going to bring their ‘A’ game, so it helped me pull out my best ‘A’ game, as well. I’m next to living legends. It feels remarkable.
“You bring who you are onto the track. You bring your athlete into your life. Just knowing that people know me not just as an athlete, but as a person. There is no separate, honestly.”
This moment was a redemptive one for the 23-year-old Dallas native, who was banned from the Olympic Games because of marijuana use.
