Sha'Carri Richardson wins 100m at Olympic trials, qualifies for Paris
Sha'Carri Richardson secured her spot at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, posting the fastest time this year in the women's 100m dash at the U.S. Olympic trials.
After cruising to wins in her qualifying heat and semifinals, Richardson had a rough start off the blocks in the final. However, she came from behind to pass training partner Melissa Jefferson in the final meters and put up a 10.71-second result. Jefferson and training partner Twanisha Terry round out the top three American Olympic qualifiers with times of 10.80 and 10.98, respectively.
Sha’Carri Richardson runs the fastest 100m in the world this year to qualify for the #ParisOlympics! pic.twitter.com/ke9xz7EZ7H
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) June 23, 2024
"Every chapter I've been through in my life was designed to prepare me for this moment," Richardson told NBC post-race. "I cannot wait to go to Paris to represent."
The Paris Games will be Richardson's first Olympics. The 24-year-old qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Games but was barred from attending by the United States Anti-Doping Agency after testing positive for marijuana.
Richardson is the reigning world champion in the 100m dash, recording a time of 10.65 seconds at the 2023 World Athletics Championship. The women's 100m heats at the Olympics starts Aug. 2.