Three years after competing in her first Summer Olympics, Sha’Kary Richardson finally has a chance to bring home an Olympic gold medal as the track and field star heads to Paris representing Team USA.
On June 22, Richardson won the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, in a blazing time of 10.71 seconds, fast enough to make her the fastest woman in the world in 2024. She dominated her two finals, winning the heat on June 21 in 10.88 seconds and then winning the semifinal in 10.86 seconds, just two hours before the final. Richardson stumbled at the start, My shoelaces came undone She stumbled late in Friday’s race and again at the start of the semifinal.
“[I] “I didn’t get the start I had been training for this moment at all,” Richardson said. NBC She finished the race on Friday, but she said she remained patient, didn’t panic and just focused on continuing the race.
It paid off, as she won the final the next day, a repeat of the 2020 Olympic Trials. But what was originally meant to be Richardson’s Olympic debut, chosen for the Tokyo team, didn’t compete. She tested positive for THC and was barred from competing in the Olympics. The then-21-year-old He told reporters She used drugs – which were legal in Oregon, where the trial took place – to cope with the death of her biological mother, but she knew the rules and wasn’t going to make excuses, Richardson said. Tweeted to fans He was committed to becoming world champion the following year and won the title, but was suspended just a year later in 2023 and continued training on the track.
After winning the 100 meters at Hayward Field, Richardson ran a short distance on the track, took a knee and calmly collected herself for a few seconds before embracing her Nike teammates Melissa Jefferson and Towanisha Terry (who came second and third) who will be running with her in Paris. Richardson described the finish as a “full circle moment.” NBCand afterwards spoke to the media about how he felt a little differently than he had after previous victories.
“This time around I was definitely still confident and excited like I always am, but more joyful,” Richardson said. Press conference“I know that I’ve worked so hard not only physically on the track but also mentally and emotionally to grow and continue to grow into the mature young woman that I am today. To actually be able to embrace that today and show it to the world on the track was a completely surreal moment for me.”
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The Summer Olympics are just a few weeks away, but qualifying isn’t over for Richardson. She’s scheduled to run the 200 meters on Thursday, June 27, and likely compete in the 4×100 relay as well. USA TodayThen, finally, Olympic season arrived for Richardson.
“I’m honored. I feel like everything that’s happened in my life has prepared me for this moment,” Richardson told NBC after winning the 100. “I can’t wait to go to Paris and represent Japan.”
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