10 Seconds: Sha’Carri Richardson’s World

Day 2: Jun 19, 2021
The 100-meter star’s dynamism is taking over Eugene—and the track world.

It was only the prelim and there were about 30 meters of running still to go, but the 100-meter final at the 2021 Olympic Trials was already over. 

It was over when Sha’Carri Richardson, past her dry phase and into an acceleration of speed that has rarely been seen, began pointing at the clock and into the stands over the final stages of the semi-final. 

That final might have been over long before all of that, back when Richardson was running 10.72 seconds in Florida in April and giving the best post-race interview of the year. But it was certainly over in Saturday night’s semi-final when she put on a clinic while celebrating over the final 40 meters of the race. 

She ran 10.64 in that semi-final with a 2.6 meter-per-second wind at her back, making the time ineligible for record purposes (2.0 is the limit). She won by what seemed like 2 seconds, and then did the thing the final again, running 10.86 with a 1.0 meter-per-second wind into her face.

Richardson is brash, confident, breathtaking. She speaks quickly and with purpose. She races the same way. To watch is enthralling. 

The women’s 100 meter dash in Tokyo is going to be, as usual, one of the premiere events. Many years, that is simply because it is the 100 meters. This year, Sha’Carri Richardson is making it real. 

If she is pointing to the stands during the semi-finals then, she will be a good bet for gold there, too.

SHA'CARRI RICHARDSON WITH A 10.64 🔥#TrackFieldTrials21 | #TokyoOlympics

📺 NBCSN pic.twitter.com/goJTKq0dD4

— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) June 20, 2021

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