Sha’Carri Richardson recovered from a shaky start to win her opening 100-metre heat in convincing fashion at the U.S. Olympic track trials in Eugene, Oregon, on Friday.
The 24-year-old reigning world 100m champion stumbled out of the blocks at Hayward Field before regaining her composure to sweep to an ultimately comfortable victory in 10.88 seconds, the fourth-fastest time in the world this year. “Definitely not the start I wanted,” Richardson said, while taking satisfaction from a brisk time in her opening race of the trials.
“It says that I’m prepared, I just need to put it all together.” Richardson hopes to become the first American woman since Gail Devers in 1996 to be crowned Olympic 100m champion at this year’s Paris Games. The Texan’s quest for Olympic glory come three years after she won the US trials but was barred from competing in the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games after testing positive for marijuana use.
Since that career low-point, however, Richardson has surged back to the pinnacle of women’s sprinting with a shock victory at last year’s World Championships in Budapest. “I am enjoying the recognition of hard work, and the support that comes with it,” Richardson said on Friday following her heat. “The fact that the world can see so much work I’ve done on myself, for myself, and that it’s well-received.
I’m appreciative, and I always show up for my fans.” Richardson was comfortably the fastest qualifier for Saturday’s 100-metre .