Sha’Carri Richardson must be seen to be believed when on the running track. At 15 years old, she was already running a sub-13 second 100m sprint. Four years later, she was taking home an NCAA title with a 10.75 second time. Richardson turned pro after the 2019 collegiate season, turning her attention to the 2020 Olympics. Even with the Olympics delayed for a year due to the pandemic, Richardson was a heavy favorite for the 100m event. She was meant to be the next great American sprinter.
However, Richardson is better known for the scandal that surrounded her ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Richardson was suspended just weeks before the 2020 Olympics after testing positive for a banned substance. She then became a vocal critic of the IOC, pointing to the fact that at the 2022 Winter Olympics, a white athlete was allowed to compete despite a failed drug test. Richardson received praise and condemnation in equal measure as she remained in the spotlight. Despite the attention, which often skewed heavily negative, Richardson has never stopped running.
Richardson Sets New PB in Florida Race
Richardson’s first on-track appearance of 2023 came at the Miramar Invitational in Florida, where she also rocked some bright pink hair. In the heats, Richardson ran a 10.75, .03 seconds slower than her personal best. That easily put her into the Winner’s Final, where she proceeded to obliterate her previous personal best. Winning the race by nearly three-tenths of a second, Richardson’s recorded time was 10.57 seconds. That lowered her personal best, set at the same track in 2021, by .15 seconds. Furthermore, Richardson’s run will enter the history books as the third-fastest women’s 100m run of all time. She only trails long-standing record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner as well as Elaine Thompson-Herah.
With such success in her first race of the year, Richardson’s season has gotten off to a great start. Her appearances will likely increase in frequency, especially with the 2024 Paris Olympics on the horizon. Having had her first shot at Olympic success snatched away, Richardson will likely be eager to earn her spot at the US trials next February. But for now, she can bask in the glory of a truly historic start to her season.
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