Additional Coverage:
- Sha’Carri Richardson on track for Paris Olympics with top 100 time in trials’ opening round (newsbreak.com)
Sha’Carri Richardson has made a promising start in her quest for her inaugural Olympic appearance.
In the initial round of the women’s 100 meters on Friday night, Richardson effortlessly clinched the top spot. Despite a less-than-ideal start and a shoelace mishap, she dominated her heat with a time of 10.88 seconds, moving forward to the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials.
“Unfortunately, the start wasn’t what I’ve been working towards, but I remained calm, didn’t panic, and just focused on finishing my race strong,” Richardson commented on NBC following her victory.
Both the semifinals and the final of the women’s 100 meters are set for Saturday.
An impressive turnout for Sha’Carri Richardson! 😱 #TrackFieldTrials24 pic.twitter.com/UHdKfVwHgV
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 22, 2024
NBC’s track and field analyst Sanya Richards-Ross praised Richardson’s evolution as a leading figure in sprinting, saying, “It’s remarkable to witness her embrace the magnitude of being the face of sprinting. She has all the makings of an Olympic champion, especially based on how the women’s 100 meters is shaping up.”
Richardson, who boasts a season-best time of 10.83 seconds—the third quickest globally this year—is coming from a stellar 2023 season. Last year, she not only bagged her first world championship title in the 100 meters but also contributed to Team USA’s victory in the 4×100-meter relay and won a bronze medal in the 200 meters.
Her aspiration now is to make her Olympic debut.
Richardson had previously secured her spot in the Tokyo Olympics by winning the 100 meters at the 2020 Olympic trials. However, a positive test for THC led to a one-month suspension that overlapped with the Olympic 100 meters, derailing her participation.
Richardson is spotlighted as one of USA TODAY Sports’ athletes to watch during the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.
“I’m ready; I just have to put everything together,” Richardson stated.