Day 7 - World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 — Sha'Carri Richardson after winning the women's 200m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest

Who is Sha'Carri Richardson? Learn about her childhood, international debut and more

Modified Mar 13, 2024 11:31 GMT

Sha'Carri Richardson is an American sprinter who recently became the world champion in the women's 100m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

Richardson was born on March 25, 2000, in Dallas, Texas, USA. She faced early hardships, including her mother abandoning her in childhood. However, her grandmother, Betty Harp, stepped in to raise her with staunch support.

At the age of nine, Richardson discovered her inclination towards track and field athletics through her aunt Shayaria Richardson, who also became her first trainer. This moment marked the beginning of her remarkable journey towards becoming a promising athlete.

In 2016, Sha'Carri Richardson claimed the 100m title at the AAU Junior Olympics. The following year, she continued her winning streak by securing another title at the USATF Junior Olympics.

Richardson's international debut came at the 2017 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships, where she won a gold medal in the 4x100m relay alongside Gabriele Cunningham, Rebekah Smith, and Tara Davis.

Richardson started competing for the LSU Lady Tigers Track and Field team in 2018 and was a finalist at the 2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in the 60m dash.

Sha'Carri Richardson's redemption tale

Sha'Carri Richardson before the women's 200m heats at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary

Sha'Carri Richardson shot to fame when she was 21 years old, after winning the 2021 Olympic trials with a time of 10.86 seconds. A week before the qualifying race, her biological mother passed away. Richardson was clueless about her death until a journalist asked her.

Richardson's life took a U-turn as she resorted to smoking Marijuana, after which she was handed a doping ban. The suspension resulted in missing out on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The 23-year-old American also missed out on competing in the 2022 World Athletics Championships.

However, Richardson did make an impressive comeback at the 2023 USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, where she ran a spectacular 100m dash in 10.82 seconds and tasted success.

The victories at the 2023 World Athletics Championships were major upturns, given her adverse journey. Richardson won the women's 100m in an impressive 10.65 seconds, which made her the fifth-fastest woman in the history of the 100m category. She also won a bronze medal in 200m with a time of 21.92 seconds.

Richardson was a part of the women's 4x100m relay winning team alongside Gabby Thomas, Tamari Davis, and Twanisha Terry. She ran the anchor leg and maintained the lead ahead of Shericka Jackson to achieve the glory.

Sha'Carri Richardson's journey from adversities to achieving the crowning point in the athletics world makes it a compelling tale of redemption.