Sha’Carri Richardson Explains Coach Dennis Micthell’s Critical Role in Making US Women’s 4 x 100m Side Dominant

American sprint superstar Sha’Carri Richardson has explained Dennis Mitchell’s critical role in making the US women’s 4x100m relay team indomitable over the last four years.

The team has clinched all four major world championship relay golds, with Mitchell’s Star Athletics Club sprinters playing a central role in that dominance. 

At the recent Tokyo World Championships, Richardson, alongside Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Twanisha Terry and Kayla White, stormed to victory — a triumph made even sweeter considering all four athletes are members of Mitchell’s Florida-based training group.

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It was not the first time Star Athletics power had carried Team USA to the top of the podium. In 2024, Terry, Jefferson-Wooden and Richardson were also part of the side that struck gold at the Paris Olympics.

Standing gleefully in the mixed zone after the win in Tokyo, Richardson eagerly answered a question about her coach’s influence.

“I’ve probably been with Dennis and our coach Sheree the longest, but we’re all under his guidance,” she said. “His coaching style is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced — not just as a coach but also as a person. He teaches us as athletes and as people, and he takes care of so many things you wouldn’t even think you’d need as an athlete.”

Under Mitchell’s guidance, Richardson has blossomed into a three-time world champion and a two-time Olympic medallist. The 25-year-old credited him, alongside assistant coach Sheree, for her growth on and off the track.

“I have the utmost respect for the ‘Green Machine’ and for Sheree,” Richardson said. “They’re always creative and come up with things that I know for sure other coaches would never even think of — even when it comes to fall training. They’re amazing coaches who always set the bar high, and that’s why anyone who comes into this programme, man or woman, becomes superior every time.”

Mitchell’s training philosophy focuses on more than raw speed. He emphasises flowing smoothly through every phase of a race, maintaining clean and efficient form, and sustaining top-end speed under pressure. Just as importantly, he drills into his athletes the mental aspects: patience, confidence, and the ability to finish strong when it matters most.

His own career lends weight to his words. Mitchell won Olympic gold in the 4x100m relay at Barcelona 1992 and bronze in the 100m. Four years later in Atlanta, he claimed silver in the relay. At World Championships, he collected multiple medals, including relay golds in 1991 and 1993, alongside individual bronzes in the 100m.

After retiring, he channelled that experience into coaching, founding Star Athletics in 2009. Today, his programme has become a powerhouse, with Richardson and her teammates rewriting relay history.