Modest Amount Sha’Carri Richardson Will Pocket After Disappointing Fifth Place Finish in Tokyo

American sprint queen Sha’Carri Richardson is among those who left the track disappointed on Sunday as the 2025 World Athletics Championships entered its second day.

Richardson came to the track as the defending champion but left as a former champion after seeing compatriot Melissa Jefferson-Wooden win the 100m gold ahead of Jamaican Tina Clayton and St Lucia’s Julien Alfred.

The 2023 world champion could only manage fifth place behind Jamaican Shericka Jackson, having clocked a season’s best 10.94 seconds.

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Richardson had sneaked into the final as one of the fastest losers after finishing third in her semi-final heat.

Following her fifth place, Richardson will still walk home with a cash prize thanks to a grand reward scheme put in place by World Athletics.

Gold medalists in Tokyo 2025 are being rewarded $70,000 (Ksh9 million), silver $35,000 (Ksh4.5 million) and bronze $22,000 (Ksh2.8 million).

Fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth places are attracting a prize of $16,000 (Ksh2 million), $11,000 (Ksh1.4 million), $7,000 (Ksh904,000), $6,000 (Ksh775,350) and $5,000 (Ksh646,123) respectively.

It means Richardson took home $11,000 for her fifth-place finish in Tokyo, down from the $70,000 she won in Budapest, Hungary two years ago when she won gold in the 100m.

The sprinter, however, still has a chance to go back home with a medal as she is part of Team USA’s 4x100m relay team.