photo courtesy of Associated Press
After the highly publicized Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award, the ESPYS is getting called out by one of the biggest American track and field sensations for their treatment of her. On July 12, Sha’Carri Richardson took to her Twitter to speak out about how the award show, which seeks to celebrate exponential athletes and their teams, treats track stars like her.
In her fiery tweet, Richardson expressed that she was extremely frustrated about when the ESPYS invited her. She wrote, “The ESPYS invited me when my life was in shambles as if I was a charity case.” She referenced when she was invited to the awards show in 2021, only a few days after she was banned from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for reportedly using a restricted substance.
Richardson continued to talk about how the ESPYS did not properly appreciate and recognize track and field in the US. She told her followers that the sport was one that took such extreme skill, dedication, and hard work. She added, “The disrespect that track & field receives in the USA alone is nasty. Half the athletes there now could not do what we do on our WORST day.”
Sha’Carri didn’t receive an award at the ESPYS despite her recent excellent performance in her races. According to ESPN, notably, the Kansas City Chiefs and their quarterback Patrick Mahomes received multiple awards at the 2023 ESPYS, including Best Team, Best Men’s Athlete, and Best NFL Player. Furthermore, a skier, Mikaela Shiffrin, won the Best Female Athlete award.