Breaking News: Coco Gauff, Angel Reese, Noah Lyles’ girlfriend and more react as Sha’Carri Richardson graces the Essence cover in stylish red gown….Read More

Sha’Carri Richardson was the talk of the town as she graced the cover of the January-February issue of Essence Magazine. Coco Gauff, Angel Reese, and more athletes congratulated the 100m world champion on what she termed a ‘historic’ appearance for her.

Richardson was raised by her grandmother Betty Harp, who used to read Essence magazine. The two-time Olympic medalist acknowledged that she was reminded of her childhood after getting the call for the cover photo shoot.

“Gracing the cover is almost historic for me. It’s going to show my journey of transformation. I actually remember my grandmother having magazines, and ESSENCE being one of those magazines. When I shared with her that I would be on the cover, that was something that I was able to relate to the little girl inside of me,” Richardson told Essence in an interview.

The magazine published numerous images of the sprinter posing in a variety of stylish dresses, with one red pleated gown particularly standing out. Its dramatic sculptural silhouette and cinched waist left Coco Gauff and many others in awe of the Olympic champion.

The 2023 US Open reacted to the post with a series of emojis,

Noah Lyles’ girlfriend and Jamaican sprinter Junelle Bromfield was also in awe of the red dress.

Richardson’s fellow U.S. Olympians Masai Russell and Tara Davis-Woodhall congratulated the sprinter for her historic feature.

Sha’Carri Richardson is among the most popular athletes in the USA and though her journey to fame hasn’t been as she would have liked, she said she has navigated through the bumpy roads and is back to being herself.

Speaking in the interview with Essence, the 24-year-old claimed she had assumed she would have to change herself after gaining popularity and when she eventually did, she wasn’t happy.

Coming into this level of fame—I definitely had moments where I felt as if I would have to sacrifice who I am, in order to have a career, in order to be what the world had basically deemed me to be,” Richardson said.

And those moments were scary, because I’m like, If I can’t be me, I can’t even give you all what you respect and love me for. I wasn’t happy when I wasn’t being myself… But the unhappiness is what got me back to myself,” she added.
Sha’Carri Richardson has 4.2 million Instagram followers and is the most followed U.S. Track and Field Olympian on the platform.