Sha’Carri Richardson Blasts ESPN Over Non-Invite To 2023 ESPY Awards
Sha’Carri Richardson has lashed out at ESPN in response to not receiving an invitation to the 2023 ESPY Awards that took place on Wednesday evening (July 12) in Los Angeles.
The polarizing track star took to Twitter to voice her feelings as the award show was taking place, noting the “disrespect” she feels that her sport receives from the national media. Richardson, who previously appeared at the ESPYs in 2021 following her suspension from the Olympics, also accused the network of attempting to present her as a sympathetic figure in the past in order to gain public approval. “The ESPYS invited me when my life was in shambles as if I was a charity case,” the 23-year-old wrote. “The disrespect that track & field receives in the USA alone is nasty. Half of the athletes there now could not do what we do on our WORST day,” she added alongside an ESPYs hashtag for good measure.
The ESPYS invited me when my life was in shambles as if I was a charity case. The disrespect that track & field receives in the USA alone is nasty. Half of the athletes there now could not do what we do on our WORST day. #espys
— Sha’Carri Richardson (@itskerrii) July 13, 2023
Richardson’s outburst comes amid a resurgence in success and popularity, as the Texan has scored a number of high-profile victories on the track while simultaneously making history. Earlier this month, Richardson ran at the United States Championships in Eugene, Ore. clocking a record-breaking 10.71 seconds in the opening heat of the 100m dash, the best time of 2023. The mark put Richardson ahead of previous record-holder Marie-Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast, who ran 10.75 at the Oslo Diamond League the month prior.
Richardson exploded onto the national scene in 2019 as a track star at Louisiana State University, breaking two U20 records at the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships. In 2021, she was suspended from competing at the Tokyo Olympic Games after testing positive for cannabis, a penalty that drew criticism and saw Richardson receiving support from Diddy and others in the Hip-Hop community.
The sprinter recently advanced to the 2023 World Championships after winning her first title at the 2023 United States Track and Field Championships last Friday (July 7). She earned the victory with a time of 10.82 seconds in the 100-meter.
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