Sha’Carri blasts Jamaican ex-girlfriend

American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson says she was in a romantic relationship with a female Jamaican athlete.

Richardson made the revelation in an Instagram story post yesterday while venting about what she says was mistreatment by the person.

She made the post in reply to another which said "I don't understand how someone can just walk out of your life and not care about you anymore."

In reply, Richardson claimed she was forced to protect her then lover, whom she did not name, from homophobic abuse, but received no appreciation in return.

"I was in a relationship with a Jamaican athlete that never cared about me from jump," Richardson said. "I was abused and stole from yet protected her from the judgement of her country and family while they dragged me. I had to deal with [homophobia] and so much more that I'm still healing from."

Since her rise to fame, Richardson, 22, has had a number of controversial moments on social media. Some of these have to do with her self-confident posts about her achievements and abilities while others are because of taunts aimed at Jamaican athletes, which have drawn criticism and ire from the Jamaican public.

Richardson, who has a personal best time of 10.72 seconds in the 100m, missed the Tokyo Olympics last year because of a drug ban for cannabis use. She, however, squared off with her Jamaican rivals Elaine Thompson Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Shericka Jackson in at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, in August last year. While the Jamaicans swept the race, with Thompson Herah clocking a Jamaican record of 10.54, and the second fastest time in history, Richardson finished last in 11.14.

She has yet to make her individual debut so far this season, having pulled out of the 100m race Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 7. There, she would've faced Fraser-Pryce, who won in a world leading 10.67.