She’s a runner; she’s a track star!
A 21-year-old athlete, Sha’Carri Richardson, just made history, becoming the sixth-fastest woman in the world, Blavity reports.
Richardson has been making a name for herself on the track, getting her start as a sprinter at Louisiana State University (LSU). In 2019, she earned two junior world records, breaking the college record for the 100-meter dash as a freshman, coming in at 10.99 seconds. Then the same day she broke the 200-meter dash record at 22.37 seconds. She would go on to win big at the NCAA Track and Field Championships, breaking Dawn Sowell’s 30-year-record, coming in at 10.75 seconds. Despite her victorious year, she fell short eight weeks later, placing eighth at the USATF Outdoor Championships and missing the chance to represent the U.S. at the World Championships.
“As an athlete, you have to take your losses just as good as your wins. If you can’t do that, you’re not a good athlete, in my opinion,” Richardson told reporters at the time.
Soon after, Richardson decided to transition from a college athlete to training professionally, landing a Nike running deal.
“Training here with [coach] Dennis Mitchell has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. I love that he’s a coach that’s going to make sure you’re the athlete you tell him you want to be, on and off the track. I’m glad I came. It’s a great environment for training. I knew that to get to the next level, I had to make myself uncomfortable, meaning push myself to a limit I hadn’t pushed myself to before,” Richardson said.
This past weekend, that’s precisely what she did.
Richardson competed at the Miramar Invitational in Floriday, clocking in at 10.72 seconds during the 100-meter dash and making history as the sixth-fastest woman in the world. The only women in history faster than Richardson have been Florence Griffith Joyner, Carmelita Jeter, Marion Jones, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Elaine Thompson-Herah. Richardson told reporters this is only the beginning.
“I’m not done yet. There’s more work to be done; there’s ways to get faster, there’s ways to become better. So we’re going back to the drawing board,” she told the USA Track and Field (USATF).
USATF took to Twitter to share footage from Richardson’s victory, calling the moment “jaw-dropping.”
@itskerrii blasted a jaw-dropping 10.72, the sixth fastest EVER! pic.twitter.com/OrfbohNRwC
— USATF (@usatf) April 10, 2021
Richardson said her goal is to represent the USA at Tokyo’s summer Olympics with NBA Sports analyst Ato Boldon confirming that Richardson is “a heavy favorite” for the Tokyo title. Before she can make the team, she must finish in the top three at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, this summer.
“I am who y’all think I am, and I am who I say I am. My season is going to be unbelievable. Something that I haven’t been expecting. Something the world hasn’t been expecting. Its’ time,” Richardson said.
And that’s on Mary had a little lamb!
Congratulations, Sha’Carri!
Photo Courtesy of Kirby Lee/Image Of Sport