After a challenging 2025 season derailed by injury, fans have been eagerly awaiting news on Sha’Carri Richardson’s form. Now, with the 2026 season about to start, one lucky fan got a direct—and surprisingly confident—update on how the Olympic gold medalist has been doing.

A fan on X tagged Richardson, asking her about her training and the upcoming season: “Hope you good and how is training going?” And sure enough, Sha’Carri replied, “Good morning, training is going great! I’m truly shocking myself. Have a blessed day 😇.”

Well, it seems like her coach, Dennis Mitchell, is clearly all in for 2026, pushing her to reclaim her top form. After a year of ups and downs, Sha’Carri Richardson is ready to hit the track with fire after the disappointing 2025 season.

The season didn’t start smoothly. At the Tokyo Golden Grand Prix in May, she finished fourth in the 100m in 11.47 seconds, far from her best. And then at the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships in early August, she skipped the 100m semis as already having a bye to the World Championships as defending world champion but competed in the 200m, narrowly missing the final with 22.56 seconds.

Things started to look better later in the summer. At the Brussels Diamond League, Sha’Carri Richardson placed second in the 100m with a time of 11.08 seconds, earning her first podium finish of the season and a much-needed confidence boost heading into Worlds. But the world championships in Tokyo in September 2025 would be a massive chance. There she qualified for the 100m final and ran a season best of 10.94 seconds.

A great comeback, yet still without a medal in a deep field that included the new championship record set by Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. However, with her new approach, the question is, will Dennis Mitchell bring back the Sha’Carri Richardson that was inviting comparisons to ‘Flo-Jo?

Dennis Mitchell’s influence on Sha’Carri Richardson’s comeback

With Dennis Mitchell’s no-nonsense approach, Sha’carri Richardson has flourished. The results say it all: gold in the 100m at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, silver in the same event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and gold in the women’s 4x100m relay as well.

But their relationship is more than just about medals. Mitchell has shaped her mindset, which has given her the mental endurance to run at her own pace.

“Me and my coach have a very close relationship, but even if we didn’t, I like it rough. Give it to me exactly how you need to,” said Richardson. “If I’m not at practice pushing myself to my full potential or doing what I’m supposed to be doing I want my coach to tell me exactly how he feels raw, no filter because I’ll give it right back to him the same way.”

The impact of his coaching isn’t limited to Richardson; three members of the women’s 4×100 relay team that took home gold at this year’s World Championships– Richardson, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, and Twanisha Terry– were all under Mitchell’s tutelage in Florida.

After the win, Richardson praised his approach: “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.”

And it’s true: on Thanksgiving this year, Mitchell granted the team a day off of training, showing that he was aware that growth does not only come in terms of training harder, but also in terms of resting and recovering.