Sha’Carri Richardson, who rose to fame in 2019 as a freshman at Louisiana State University, running 10.75 seconds to break the 100 m collegiate record, has set eye on the Olympic gold.

One of the fastest women on the planet, Richardson is set to make her Olympic debut at Paris Games 2024. She is one of the biggest athletes to watch out for at this edition of the summer games.

Sha’Carri Richardson Hits Stumbling Block

Richardson’s dream of an Olympic medal could have been fulfilled three years back when she qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with a 100-meter time of 10.86 seconds at the 2020 United States Olympic Trials. However, her Olympic dreams got shattered after she was found positive for THC metabolites, a banned substance.  She was handed a one-month ban by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) due to which she could not take part at the Tokyo Games.

Sha’Carri Richardson had stated that she took the drug to cope with the pressure of qualifying for the Olympics while mourning the recent death of her biological mother.

“I want to take responsibility for my actions. I know what I did, I know what I’m supposed to do … and I still made that decision. But I’m not making an excuse or looking for any empathy in my case, but, however, being in that position in my life, finding out something like that, something that I would say is probably one of the biggest things that have impacted me … that definitely was a very heavy topic on me”, she had stated.

“I’m not back, I’m better”.

The year 2003, however, turned the tide for Sha’Carri Richardson. She reinvented herself and came back to become one of the most successful athletes in the U.S.A in the arena of track and field. She became USA’s first women’s 100m world champion. She gave a gold medal-winning performance in the 100m by clocking 10.65 seconds at the 2023 World Athletics Championships which was the joint-fifth fastest of all times.

Also Read: 5 Indians To Watch Out For In Athletics At Paris Olympics 2024

The sprinter also won a gold medal at the women’s 4x100m relay event and a bronze medal in the 200m event at the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest.

More recently, Richardson claimed her second national title in the women’s 100m at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. She registered a world-leading time of 10.71s in the women’s 100m at the trials to qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024.

“I’m not back, I’m better,” said Sha’Carri Richardson signifying her resoluteness and determination.

Richardson is now set to feature in Paris Olympics 2024 which will be her maiden Olympics. And it seems she is not going to settle for anything less than a gold!.

Also Read: Top 5 Best Female Football Referees in the World