Sha’Carri Richardson has qualified for her first Olympic games after winning the 100-meter final on Saturday at the Olympic trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Richardson finished in first place with a time of 10.71 – the fastest time in the 100m in the world this year – to book her spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics with the US Olympic team.
The 24-year-old sprinter advanced to the semifinals on Friday after finishing in first place, despite stumbling at the start and having to finish the race with an untied shoe. In the semifinals heat, the Texas native finished with a time of 10.86 seconds to advance to Saturday’s final.
Richardson’s training partner Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry also qualified for the Paris Olympics after finishing in second and third place, respectively.
In 2021, Richardson had been expected to be one of the biggest draws at the Tokyo Olympic Games after winning the women’s 100 meters at the US trials, but did not compete after accepting a one-month ban for her positive test of THC, a chemical found in marijuana.
Richardson is coming off a historic year in 2023, where she won the women’s 100 meters with a championship record time of 10.65 at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
The American sprinter followed that race by earning bronze in the 200-meter race, placing behind Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson and compatriot Gabby Thomas. Richardson added a second gold to her haul, anchoring the American 4x100 relay at the same event.