Alexis Ohanian, the mastermind behind the recently concluded Athlos women’s-only track event, has expressed his admiration for sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson and highlighted the parallels between their journeys.
Richardson has emerged as one of the world’s leading sprinters, notably winning gold at the 2023 World Championships. However, her path to success has not been without obstacles. She triumphed at the Olympic trials ahead of the postponed 2020 Tokyo Games but was disqualified after a drug test indicated the use of cannabis. After serving a one-month suspension, she revealed that she turned to cannabis to cope with the pressures of qualifying for the Olympics while grieving her mother’s death.
Since then, Richardson has made a remarkable comeback, securing a gold medal at the World Championships, an Olympic silver in the 100m, and gold in the 4x100m relay, establishing herself as a superstar in the track and field arena.
Ohanian has been a vocal advocate for female athletes, emphasizing their need for recognition and fair compensation. He demonstrated this commitment through the highly successful Athlos event, where each winner took home $60,000.
Despite her achievements, Richardson was notably absent from this year’s event, but she is hopeful about participating in the next edition.
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