Failing Sha’Carri Richardson, Alexis Ohanian Sends Direct Message For New Milestone

Okay, let’s talk about something that’s been buzzing lately in the world of track and field. Alexis Ohanian has given major props to Sha’Carri Richardson. You’ve probably heard the whole drama around the missed connection between the track superstar and the Athlos meet. But, trust me, this isn’t just about what didn’t happen. There’s a bigger picture here that Ohanian’s been quietly drawing. And it has a lot to do with Sha’Carri’s journey and what’s next for her. You won’t believe the twist!

The whole thing goes deeper than just missing out on a meet. It’s about the highs and lows, the triumphs, and the setbacks. Then there comes the man who is behind Athlos. Alexis Ohanian had a front-row seat to everything. But this time around, it didn’t happen. Regardless, he has some serious respect for Sha’Carri Richardson. What matters now is Ohanian’s vision of moving ahead concerning Sha’Carri. Wonder why?

Sha’Carri Richardson was out of Athos?

Starting with Alexis Ohanian, the loving husband to Serena William and the guy behind Reddit in existence. Alexis is a big fan of Sha’Carri. And he has been hyping her up for a while now. Even when things were not going well for her. Ohanian’s all about supporting strong women, especially when it comes to sports, and he’s been speculating the track icon Sha’Carri’s journey on the field closely. Alexis has seen her rise, fall, and rise again, and he’s not shy about showing encouragement.

Upon being asked about the unfortunate ban that kept Sha’Carri out of the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for cannabis, Ohanian made it crystal clear about what he thought, and for him, it was unfair. “I thought, well, that’s kind of messed up,” he said. He called out the ban, saying it didn’t make sense as cannabis isn’t exactly a drug that enhances athlete’s performance. To be honest, his words hit hard, showing that he not only understands Sha’Carri’s struggle but also supports her comeback in a major way.

But that’s not all. Here’s where it gets more interesting.

Despite his vocal admiration for Sha’Carri, she wasn’t part of the inaugural Athlos meet. This woman’s only track event that Ohanian put together has each winner walking home with an extravagant amount of $60,000. Wonder why? So it turns out that the Paris Olympics had a lot to do with it. After which, athletes were extensively tired. Burnt out might even be the right word for it. In an interview with Justin Gatlin, Alexis said, “We asked what would you think about this happening at the end of the season? And some of the ladies were realistically like, ‘I just don’t have it in me’.”

Sha’Carri Richardson had wrapped up her season at the 2024 Diamond League in Brussels, keeping it real. The Paris Olympics took a lot out of everyone. Richardson didn’t have the energy for it, and that’s understandable. But still, imagine how cool it would’ve been to see her at Athos. Even after failing to get Sha’Carri on board with Athos 2024, Ohanian didn’t back up and cheered her up in her new campaign with Nike on Instagram, showing his support by adding to the mixture!

LeBron and Richardson are side by side!

Now, let’s get back to what’s happening in Sha’Carri’s life outside of Athlos. Richardson has hit a major milestone. And that’s her Nike collaboration. In March 2024, Sha’Carri Richardson signed a 5-year-long deal with Nike estimated at around $20 million. And Nike recently dropped an iconic ad campaign for the Paris Olympics, where Sha’Carri’s face is right there next to LeBron James. Yeah, you read that correctly. Both legends of them in one epic campaign. Sha’Carri shared the post on Instagram with a caption that got everyone buzzing.“If you have a dream, don’t let it g.” It was no ordinary campaign. It was one special moment for Sha’Carri to claim her space, not just in the track world but as an iconic figure in pop culture.

In the campaign, LeBron’s tagline was “This isn’t a game to me.”

LeBron is someone coming back to the Olympics after 12 years, and that ought to hit differently. Meanwhile, Sha’Carri’s tagline in the ad was, “The times of my life,” completely made for her. After all, she came through at the Paris Olympics, bagging two shiny medals. This includes gold in the 4x100m relay, clocking 41.78 seconds. She also won a silver in the 100 m. It was a redemption voyage, and Nike didn’t miss the chance to celebrate that with her. What a grab!

But here’s the kicker: Ohanian gets why Sha’Carri Richardson’s energy is so magnetic. “She’s got this amazing energy; she’s great on the track, and she has this big personality,” he expressed while appreciating her groove for tracks!

That’s one thing that makes her so relatable and unforgettable, of course. Whether she’s running or making ultimate moves with Nike, Sha’Carri owns her space, and Ohanian respects that, even if things didn’t align for her with Athos, she still rules! Next time, Athos!