Team USA's Track And Field Roster Exudes Black Excellence — And We're Loving It

Now that we’re in July, the Paris Olympics are less than a month away. Although track meets happen all the time, it’s in the Olympics where the sport truly has the eyes of the world on it. This year’s qualifiers were special. For both the men’s and women’s 100m, 200m and 400m qualifiers, all who qualified were Black. A first for Team USA, it was certainly worth mentioning.

Headlined by Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson, the U.S. squad is not short on talent. But they’re also not short on personality. In this upcoming competition, I’m sure we’ll be thoroughly entertained. Track and field in my opinion is hoping to highlight their current crop of stars. Usain Bolt held it down for at least a decade. Since then, I don’t think we’ve had the sort of marketable personalities needed in the sport until now. I want to watch Lyles and Richardson. They’re both never short on words, and they both have something to prove.

I’ve mentioned in the past how Richardson has been on track for the better part of two years now. She has been performing at the highest levels and is truly reaping the benefits of her rededication. Lyles faced some scrutiny of his critique of NBA players, and the difficulty of their discipline, or lack thereof. He’s also seeking to make that debacle a distant memory. The perfect opportunity lay before him in Paris later this month.

“Black excellence” has become very proverbial in our speech these days. I would love to describe what we’re witnessing heading into the Olympic season differently. But the truth is, I kind of can’t. There’s going to be so much melanin on these podiums. And it can’t be overstated how important it is for athletes coming up to see themselves on-screen held in the highest esteem. We’re already proud of our Black athletes for making it this far. But being able to see them medal, that’s something we can’t wait to see.