Sha’Carri Richardson Honored at 2023 USATF Awards

Sha’Carri Richardson was honored for her track achievements at this year’s USA Track and Field awards ceremony.

Richardson and Noah Lyles took home major awards for their stellar track records this year on Saturday at the USATF Night of Legends.

Richardson received the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Athlete of the Year for women after she won the 100m, secured bronze in the 200m, and pushed the women’s 4x100m relay team to gold at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

“With the God that I serve, everything happens when it’s supposed to happen. So when I stand here today as the world champion, that’s because now was the time for that to happen. Now is the most impactful it would be, the most powerful it would be, and the most sincere it would be,” Richardson said while giving her victory speech. 

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“I understand the influence that I have, I understand the responsibility that I have to USATF and as a top female USA athlete, and to my country, and to my black family, to my beautiful women, to everybody that has been misunderstood for trying to be their best selves and not be put into a category because they do track and field and have been put in a bubble.”

Lyles took home the Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year for the third time for his achievements in the 100m, and 200m sprint double at the World Championships, as well as helping in the 4x100m relay team to get gold, the Olympics’ official website reads.

Lyles, 26, has become a dominant force in the sport. “I feel like I’ve shown that as long as you yourself, you work hard, you can display whatever it is that is you, and still get the job done,” Lyles said in his victory speech.