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Performances Worth Noting From The Prefontaine Classic
On August 21st, the professional track and field world had their first major post-Olympic competition on US soil in a northwestern city called Eugene in Oregon. This competition is known as the Prefontaine “Pre” Classic. This meet is part of a series called the “Diamond League” which showcases world-class athletes outside of major championships like the Olympic Games or the World Championships.
There was a lot of hype and anticipation going the Pre Classic. Many lineups were nearly identical to the Olympic finals we saw in Tokyo in events like the women’s 100-meter dash and 800-meter run, where the gold, silver, and bronze medal winners were present. The former race had even more build-up due to Sha’Carri Richardson being the face of the competition after missing the Olympic Games due to a marijuana suspension. The news of her suspension broke the internet and many hopped on the support train and caused many conversations about marijuana use and other banned substances that clearly aren’t performance-enhancing. New fans, old fans, and rival fans were looking forward to seeing how she would do against Jamaica’s big three: Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Shericka Jackson. Both Sha’Carri and the US media made it seem like it was going to be a great performance. It was a great race, but not for her.
