Sha’Carri Richardson has officially qualified for her first Olympic Games after a standout performance at the Olympic trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Richardson clinched her spot on the US Olympic team by winning the 100-meter final on Saturday with a time of 10.71 seconds – the fastest 100m time in the world this year.
The 24-year-old sprinter showed her resilience on Friday, advancing to the semifinals after finishing first in her heat, despite stumbling at the start and running with an untied shoe. She continued to impress in the semifinals, clocking in at 10.86 seconds to secure her place in Saturday’s final.
Joining Richardson on the US Olympic team are her training partner Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry, who finished in second and third place, respectively.
In 2021, Richardson was expected to be one of the biggest stars at the Tokyo Olympics after winning the women’s 100 meters at the US trials. However, she did not compete after accepting a one-month ban following a positive test for THC, a chemical found in marijuana.
Richardson is coming off a historic year in 2023, where she won the women’s 100 meters with a championship record time of 10.65 seconds at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. She followed that victory by earning a bronze medal in the 200-meter race, placing behind Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson and compatriot Gabby Thomas. Richardson capped off her incredible year by anchoring the American 4×100 relay team to gold.
