Sha’Carri Richardson is an American track and field sprinter who specializes in 100 m and 200 m races. She is one of the world’s fastest female sprinters and is ranked world’s number one in 100 m in 2023. Richardson is well-known by her signature style characterized by bright hair colours, body tattoos and polished long nails.
The talented American sprinter amassed national fame in 2019 when she broke the collegiate 100 m record after running 10.75 seconds at the NCAA Division 1 Championships. At that time she was a freshman at Louisiana State University. She qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics after winning the 100m race in 10.86 seconds during the trials. However, she was declared ineligible to compete in the Olympics after she tested positive for marijuana at the U.S. trials 100 m finals. After serving a suspension, she come back stronger. In April 2021, the sprinter attained a new personal best of 10.72 to become the fourth-fastest American woman in history.
Richardson is the current U.S. women’s 100 m national champion with a time of 10.82 seconds. In the 2023 World Championships in Budapest she recorded the fifth fastest time in women’s 100 m. She also set a new championships record of 10.65 seconds. The American sprinter as well broke Jamaica’s dominance in the 100m dash by beating Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson to take the Gold medal.
Age and Birthday
Born in Dallas, Texas on 25 March 2000, Richardson is 24 years old as of 2024.
Height
The star sprinter is approximately 155 cm (5 feet 1 inch) tall.
Namesakes
- John Kincaide Stadium in Dallas, Texas had its track renamed the Sha’Carri Richardson Track in 2023.
- November 10, 2023 was declared Sha’Carri Richardson day in Dallas, Texas.
Sha’Carri Richardson Family
The American sprinter was majorly brought up by her grandmother Betty Harp and her aunt. Her parents were not largely present in her life. Sha’Carri has no siblings and her biological mother Shayaria Richardson passed on in 2021. We are yet to get hold of any information about the athlete’s father.
Sha’Carri Richardson Career
Richardson’s sprinting talent was evident since her days in Carter High School in Dallas. At the 2016 AAU Junior Olympics, 16 year old Richardson won the 100 m title and in the following year bagged another title at the 2017 USATF Junior Olympics. She debuted on the international stage at the 2017 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships, winning gold in the 4X100 m relays.
Collegiate Career
The talented sprinter joined Louisiana State University in 2018. At the 2019 NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships, she made it to the 60 m event finals. At the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships, Richardson broke two world U20 records. She won the 100 m race to set a new collegiate record of 10.75 seconds breaking the previous 42-year old one. Richardson also finished second clocking 22.17 seconds to breaking a previous record set at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Professional Career
After her first year, Richardson announced that she would be signing her professional contract under Nike sponsorship.
She qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics after finishing at a time of 10.86 in the 100 m race at the 2020 U.S. States Trials. She was however declared ineligible for the Olympic 100 m after testing positive of cannabis and banned for a month. The sprinter said that she consumed the drug to manage the pressure of qualifying for Olympics while mourning her mother’s death. She was back on the track at the 2021 Prefontiane Classic but performed poorly and finishing last at a time of 11.14.
Richardson was unable to compete at the 2022 World Championships held in Eugene. This was due to her not making it to the 2022 USATF Championships finals in the 100 m and 200 m events.
On 8 April 2023, Sha’Carri became the 100 m fourth-fastest female runner in all-conditions when she clocked 10.57. In May the same year, she got her first Diamond League win in Doha with a meeting record of 10.76. During the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Sha’Carri took the U.S. Championship in 100 m clocking 10.82 and qualified for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.
In the 2023 World Championships, she won her debut major international individual title when she bagged Gold in the women’s 100 m in a championship record time of 10.65. Richardson also won bronze in the women’s 200 m in 21.92, behind fellow American Gabrielle Thomas (21.81) and defending women’s 200 m world champion Shericka Jackson (21.41). She additionally won gold as part of the U.S. team in the 4X100 m relay with a championship record of 41.03.
Sha’Carri Richardson Achievements and Medals
Achievements
Highest World ranking: First in 100 m, 2023
Personal bests: 100 m- 10.65 (2023), 200 m- 21.92 (2023), 60 m indoors- 7.20 (2019), 200 m indoors- 23.08 (2019)
Medals
- World Championships: Gold 100 m, Bronze 200m and Gold 4X100 m (Budapest 2023)
- Pan American U20 Championships: Gold 4X100 m (Trujillo 2017)
National Titles
- USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships: 100 m (2023)
- NCAA Division 1 Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships: 100 m (2019)
- AAU Junior Olympics: 100 m (2016, 2017)
Sha’Carri Richardson Net worth
The gifted American sprinter has an estimated net worth of $5 million with main sources of her wealth being athletics and endorsements.