Sha’Carri Richardson’s marketing campaign to go to her first Olympics is off to a strong begin.
Richardson obtained by way of the opening spherical of the ladies’s 100 meters with no hitch Friday night. The sprinter ran a ten.88 to complete first within the opening spherical of the occasion and advance to the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic Observe & Subject Trials.
She did not get off to the perfect of begins and certainly one of her shoelaces appeared to come back untied, however she recovered to win her warmth and publish the highest total time.
“Undoubtedly didn’t have the beginning that I’ve been coaching to have on this second. However nonetheless, not panicking, staying affected person and understanding that it doesn’t matter what’s occurring, to proceed to run my race,” Richardson mentioned on NBC after her win.
The semifinals and last of the ladies’s 100 are each scheduled for Saturday.
“It has been actually stunning to see how she is now actually standing in what it means to be the face of the sprints. It comes with quite a bit,” NBC monitor and area analyst Sanya Richards-Ross mentioned of Richardson this week. “I feel she has an actual shot at being the Olympic champion with the way in which the ladies’s 100 has been going.”
Richardson’s season-best time of 10.83 is the third quickest time on the earth this yr. The 24-year-old sprinter is coming off an excellent 2023 season, throughout which she gained her first world championship within the 100. She added a second gold medal as a part of Workforce USA’s profitable 4×100-meter relay squad. She additionally obtained a world championship bronze medal within the 200.
Richardson is vying to succeed in the Olympics for the primary time in her profession.
Richardson certified for the Tokyo Olympics by profitable the 100 on the 2020 Olympic trials. However Richardson examined optimistic for THC and was subsequently suspended for one month. Her suspension ran by way of the Olympic 100 meters.
Richardson is certainly one of USA TODAY Sports activities’ U.S. Olympic monitor and area trials athletes to observe.
“I’m ready, I simply have to put all of it collectively,” Richardson mentioned.
Observe USA TODAY Sports activities’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.