Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
The 23-year-old American is a world champion at 100 meters with one of the fastest runs in history.
In an eagerly anticipated matchup two years in the making, American sprinting star Sha’Carri Richardson produced the race of her life to become the world’s fastest woman.
At the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Richardson zoomed past Jamaican sprinting legends Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (a five-time world champion who finished third) and competition favorite Shericka Jackson in a blazing 10.65 seconds to win gold in the 100-meter final. She’s now tied with Jackson and Marion Jones as the fifth-fastest woman in history, breaking the championship record in the process.
What’s most remarkable about her victory is the fact that she had a considerable scare in the semifinals earlier in the evening. A poor start cost her ground against Jackson and the Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou, and she had to rally to third place when only the top two spots were guaranteed a berth in the final. Fortunately for her, 10.84 seconds was fast enough to get in as a non-automatic qualifier, but consequently she was drawn in the historically unfavorable lane 9. Richardson is the first 100-meter runner in the 40-year history of the world championships to win gold as a non-automatic qualifier.
A tumultuous two years for Sha’Carri
Having emerged as one of the world’s top sprinters at the 2021 U.S Olympic trials, we should’ve seen Richardson running against Fraser-Pryce and Jackson (and Elaine Thompson-Herah, who failed to qualify for this year’s Worlds for Jamaica) in the Tokyo Summer Games. A controversial positive drug test for marijuana ruled her out of her first global championships. Richardson said she smoked marijuana as a coping mechanism following the death of her biological mother, and while there was considerable outrage over her suspension, she took full responsibility for the infraction. She was a spectator as the Jamaican trio (led by Thompson-Herah) swept the podium at the Olympics.
Upon return from her suspension, Richardson raced at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, with great anticipation that she’d challenge the Jamaican stars. Instead, she finished in last place while Thompson-Herah ran 10.54 seconds to become the second-fastest woman in history behind Florence Griffith-Joyner. Richardson’s infamous post-race interview with NBC concluded with her saying, “They’re not done seeing me yet, period.”
Richardson had a disastrous 2022, with several sub-par performances and very early exits in 100 and 200 meter qualifying for the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. After her failure to make the Team USA roster, Richardson received criticism for initially refusing to speak to reporters after her races, and when she did address the media it was a call to reporters to “respect athletes more.”
Redemption in 2023
Richardson has been sensational throughout the outdoor track season, including two wins in the 100 meters against Shericka Jackson on the Diamond League circuit leading up to Worlds. She tore through the US trials in and qualified for both the 100 and 200 meters, delighting the Hayward Field crowd as she took her wig off prior to taking the national title.
“I’m not back; I’m better,” Richardson told NBC’s Lewis Johnson after winning the 100 meter national title in July.
With this victory at Worlds, the 23-year-old is the first American woman since the late Tori Bowie in 2017 to be crowned 100-meter champion.
More gold to come in Budapest?
There are still two more opportunities for Richardson to add to her medal count at these championships. The 200 meters begins on Wednesday, and Shericka Jackson will be a clear favorite as the reigning champion and second-fastest woman of all-time. There will also be stern competition from fellow American Gabby Thomas, who beat Richardson at the US trials. No American woman has ever won double sprint gold at the World Championships.
Richardson is also slated to compete in the women’s 4x100m relay for the first time, as the US looks for a second straight Worlds relay win over Jamaica in this fierce rivalry.
It’s taken longer than expected, but Sha’Carri Richardson is finally on top of the sprinting world, and in sensational and historic fashion.
