DALLAS – Track and field sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson is making headlines for her stellar performance to win the 100-meter world title in Budapest, Hungary on Monday.
The 10.65 championship record has allowed Richardson to assert herself as a Paris 2024 Olympic medal contender.
Recommended Videos
As Richardson dominated in the ninth lane, she passed up Jamaica’s silver medalist Shericka Jackson, who is known for being the second-fastest 200m sprinter in history, and bronze medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who has seven combined Olympic and world 100m titles.
“I’m honored, I’m blessed, I had great competition, [which] pulled the best out of me, and I’m just honored to leave with a gold medal,” she is quoted saying to NBC News and other reporters after the race.
Here are seven things to know about the 23-year-old rising athlete:
- Richardson is from Dallas, Texas: NBC 5 reported that she was once coached by Lauren Cross at Carter High School. She reportedly scored the state silver medal in the 200 meters to complete her sophomore season at Carter. She was also a four-time district and regional champion during her high school career.
- She went to Louisiana State University: Richardson set the collegiate record in the 100-meter dash at the NCAA Championships to claim her first NCAA title with a personal record of 10.75, according to LSU’s website. As a result, she became the ninth-fastest woman in history. In 2019, she was named SEC Freshman Track Athlete of the Year and was honored with the 2019 Bowerman Award.
- Winning isn’t new to her: She was the No. 1-ranked sprint recruit in the United States in the Class of 2018.
- She’s a history maker: During Monday night’s competition, Richardson became the first woman to cross the finish line first in an Olympic or world 100m final having not finished in the top two in her semifinal, NBC Sports reported.
- She loves bold hair and nails: While rising to fame, Richardson became a standout athlete through her colorful hairstyles and long-manicured nails. Her style allowed her to make bold statements while on the field.
- Florence Griffith-Joyner is one of her biggest influences: In 2021, Richardson told the Associated Press, “Flo-Jo came to the track and knew she was going to dominate. The way she did that was graceful. I always liked that. If the amazing Flo-Jo had long nails, there was no excuse why I couldn’t have long nails.”
- Family means a lot to her: In 2021, Richardson won the 100-meter race to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, but as soon as she was done, she went right up to the stands to hug her grandmother and told NBC Sports, “My grandmother is my heart, my grandmother is my superwoman, so to be able to have her here at the biggest meet of my life, and being able to cross the finish line and run up the steps knowing I’m an Olympian now, it just felt amazing.” Little did we know, she was struggling with the emotions of losing her biological mother the week before. Despite her family’s untraditional dynamic, Richardson told NBC that she loves her biological mother and “will pay her respect every time she steps onto the track.”