Photo: Getty Images
Nearly two full months ago, Sha'Carri Richardson accomplished one of her lifelong dreams—qualifying for the Summer Olympic Games. Speeding past her competitors, Richardson won the women's 100m final at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon with a time of 10.86 seconds. Unable to contain her joy, she ran into the stands and hugged her grandmother as the Richardsons celebrated this special moment. Unfortunately, the joyous moment took a turn for the worse when it was revealed that Richardson had tested positive for cannabis, a banned substance under USA Track & Field and IOC rules. Despite the substance providing no known advantage, Richardson was barred from competing at the Tokyo Olympics and forced to serve a 30-day suspension.
With the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in the rearview mirror, Richardson still has a bright future in the world of track and field. At 21 years old, the track star is preparing to compete for gold in Paris, France. In order to prepare herself for that moment, the Dallas native will compete at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon, the same state where she won the Olympic Trials in 2021 and the NCAA Championships in 2019. With that said, she will have her hands full as she faces off against Team Jamaica's Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson. Together, Fraser-Pryce, Jackson and Thompson-Herah swept the top three prizes during the women's 100m final in Tokyo, Japan last month. Adding on, Thompson-Herah broke the women's 100m Olympic record with a time of 10.61 seconds.
While Richardson may be facing stiff competition in Oregon, she is not phased by it. According to her agent, Renaldo Nehemiah, she has spent the last two months preparing for this race and is focused solely on her performance.
"Sha'Carri is focused on running a good race since she last competed at the US Olympic Trials," Nehemiah told the Wall Street Journal.
"She will be focused on executing her race to the best of her ability regardless of who is in the race."
If Richardson runs her best race, she will have a great opportunity to place in the top three. Currently, she has the third-best time in the women's 100m dash this year.
Jackson, Fraser-Pryce, Thompson and Richardson will all meet at Hayward Field for the ultimate showdown on August 21 at 1:51 p.m.
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