Sha'Carri Richardson

Sha'Carri Richardson is an American track and field sprinter who competes in the 100 meters and 200 meters. Richardson initially rose to prominence in 2019 as a freshman at Louisiana State University, running 10.75 seconds to break the 100 m collegiate record at the NCAA Division I Championships. This achievement positioned her as one of the ten fastest women in history at 19 years old. In the same year, she won The Bowerman, an award for college track and field.

In April 2021, Richardson improved her personal best with a time of 10.72 seconds, thereby becoming the sixth-fastest woman of all time and the fourth-fastest American woman in history. She initially qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics after winning the women's 100-meter dash with 10.86 in the United States Olympic Trials. However, she was disqualified following a one-month suspension for cannabis use. Richardson returned to the sport at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic, placing ninth with a time of 11.14 seconds.

Coming back stronger, Richardson became the US national champion in the women's 100 meters at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in July 2023. Shortly after, in August, she secured gold in the 100 m at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, setting a championship record time of 10.65 seconds. This victory was followed by another gold medal as part of Team USA in the women's 4x100m relay final at the same championships.

Richardson continued her winning streak into 2024, successfully defending her title as the US national champion in the 100-meter sprint event. This qualified her for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where she won a silver medal in the 100m race and again secured gold in the women's 4x100 relay. Her performances have resulted in several national and international titles, establishing Richardson as a notable figure in athletics.

In recognition of her contributions to the sport, a track at John Kincaide Stadium was renamed the Sha'Carri Richardson Track, and November 10, 2023, was declared Sha'Carri Richardson Day in her native city, Dallas, Texas.