UPDATED: It seems like all she does is win, win, win! Sha’Carri Richardson left it all on the track Monday, and she is now the new 100-meter world champion. Richardson “gobbled up 100 meters in a blazing personal-best 10.65 seconds at the 2023 World Athletic Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest.”
This marks Richardson’s first world title in a major sprinting event.
Earlier in the day, Richardson placed third in her semifinal race and advanced to the finals because of her time. She was one of three Americans to advance to the next round.
Original story below
Over the weekend, track star Sha’Carri Richardson easily advanced in her 100-meter heat at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
With a time of 10.92, Richardson was one of three runners who posted a sub-11 second finish, and she recorded the fastest qualifying time of the day.
Richardson added her own flair as she sprinted across the finish line, and “[s]he pretended to flick some sweat off her brow – no big deal.”
During a post-race interview, the 23-year-old American national champion was asked, “the world has been waiting to see what you’ll do on this stage, what are your expectations of yourself?”
Richardson fired back, “I’m not worried about the world anymore. I’ve seen the world be my friend, I’ve seen the world turn on me. At the end of the day, I’ve always been with me. God has always been with me. So being on this scale now, it’s my time.” She continued, “It’s always been my time, but now it’s my time to actually do it for myself, and the people that felt like me, and the people that look like me, and the people that know the truth about themselves as well. I represent those people.”
These jabs were in reference to Richardson being forced to bow out of the summer Olympic games two years ago after testing positive for THC on a drug test.
On Monday, Richardson will compete in the 100-meter semifinals and finals alongside rival sprinters Marie-Josée Ta Lou, Shericka Jackson and defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who also all won their qualifying 100-meter heats.
All eyes are on the world championships, which sports pundits say could be “a possible preview of more to come at the Paris Olympics next summer.” Even though Richardson isn’t concerned about the critics, the race will certainly be one to watch as we see if the Texan can beat out five-time World Champion Fraser-Pryce.