Sha’Carri Richardson felt an incredible emotion beyond anything she had ever experienced before as she crossed the finish line in the 100 meters at the 2024 U.S. Olympic track and field trials.

After the race in Eugene, Oregon in late June, Richardson remarked, “This time around, I feel as if it was more — definitely still confident, still my exciting, normal self, but more so the overwhelming feeling of joy.”

Richardson secured her Olympic ticket to Paris with a world-leading time of 10.71.

Three years ago, Richardson qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in track and field by winning the 100 at the 2020 U.S. Olympic track and field trials (held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic) in 10.86 seconds. Richardson immediately rose to prominence in the sport. However, it abruptly ended when she tested positive for THC and was consequently placed on a one-month suspension.

Richardson claimed at the time that she turned to cannabis to help her deal with her biological mother’s passing in 2021, right before the Olympic trials. However, her suspension persisted until the Tokyo Olympics 100 meters, and she was dropped off the Team USA roster.

Since then, her narrative has been one of development and atonement, which culminated in her becoming the fastest woman in the world when she claimed the gold medal in the 100 meters at the 2023 world championships.

She proceeded to win gold at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic against a competitive field. A few weeks later on the same track, she crossed the finish line first to qualify for the Paris Olympics, where she’ll be the gold-medal favorite in the 100.

“I would say in the past three years I’ve grown, just having a better understanding of myself, a deeper respect and appreciation for my gift that I have in the sport, and as well as my responsibility to the people that believe in and support me,” Richardson said. “I feel like all those components have helped me grow and will continue to help me grow into the young lady I have been divined and blessed by God to be.

“Having a deeper love and a deeper care for the talent I have been given and I take advantage of it, nurture it, take care of my body, my mind as well as my spirit. That way I can continue to execute and show up on the track.”

One of track and field’s brightest stars

Richardson has become one of track and field’s biggest stars thanks to her charm, self-assurance and ability to persevere in the face of difficulty. As of June 25, Richardson’s victory in the 100 meters was the most viewed video on NBC Sports’ YouTube website during the U.S. Olympic trials, with about 1.5 million views. On the day that Richardson won the 100, 11,852 ticketed spectators filled Hayward Field, which has a capacity of about 12,650. At the Eugene trials, she also received one of the greatest applauses from the attendees when she was presented.

“Sha’Carri Richardson has certainly drawn in a lot of people who I wouldn’t even have called them casual fans before,” four-time Olympic gold medalist and NBC analyst Sanya Richards-Ross told USA TODAY Sports. “I think they were people that didn’t watch track and field at all that now feel very connected and invested in the sport because of Sha’Carri.”

Richards-Ross, like many others, considers Richardson a face of track and field.

Training partners in Paris

Richardson is slated to compete in the 100 and 4×100 relay at the Paris Olympics. Her qualification in the 100 was sweetened when her training partners, Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry, finished second and third, respectively, in the final to join Richardson on Team USA’s 100-meter squad. The trio are coached by former world-class sprinter Dennis Mitchell.

“It definitely confirmed the year we’ve been training for. We’ve been preparing for this moment. It’s a full-circle moment,” Richardson said. “We’re grateful and appreciative and I’m super excited to grow and build from this momentum that we’ve already established. It’s more than exciting to continue to go forward with my girls.

“We didn’t put the world on notice, the world already knew. …We knew this moment could be possible if we put our minds, body and spirit into it.”

What’s possible in Paris?

If Richardson wins Olympic gold in the 100 meters, she will have the chance to compete at the highest level in track and field’s trademark event. Her strongest event is thought to be the 100; she placed fourth at trials and was not selected for the solo 200. Elaine Thompson-Herah, the Jamaican Olympic winner in the 100 and 200 meters, will not be competing against her due to an Achilles injury that ended her season. But with Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred and Jamaica’s other sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the race to top the Olympic podium will be intense. Jamaican superstar Shericka Jackson withdrew from the 100 meters to concentrate on the 200.

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In the event that Richardson brings home a prestigious gold medal in Paris, her fame will only rise at a time when the United States is promoting its athletes in anticipation of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“Where are the Olympics going to be held if she wins this 100 and goes to Paris to handle business? Yes, you are correct. Ato Boldon, an NBC analyst and former Olympian, stated, “It’s in America.” “We are appreciative of the opportunity to cover someone as significant to the sport as Sha’Carri Richardson is, both nationally and internationally.”

Richardson is without a doubt the clear favourite to win the 100 and the 4×100-relay gold medal for Team USA. Nevertheless, Richardson has the opportunity to write another outstanding chapter in her life, regardless of the medals she earns. The story of development, atonement, and triumph—regardless of the outcome in Paris.

“All of the experiences I’ve had have led me to this current point in time. Nothing I’ve experienced hasn’t shaped who I am,” Richardson remarked. “And I would say that, going into the Games, I don’t set a time for myself; instead, I simply know that, if I run the race for which I have trained and prepared, the time will come.” All I’m thrilled about is going out there and finishing the race well.