DALLAS — Sha'Carri Richardson became a Texas track legend by running a short distance in a very short amount of time.
But there's been nothing short about her journey to the Olympics.
Richardson's long-awaited moment in the spotlight, on the biggest stage in sports, is here.
The U.S. track star and Dallas native is making her Olympics debut in the women's 100-meter event. Preliminary rounds get underway Friday, before the final on Saturday.
Richardson, 24, is also set to represent Team USA in the women's 4-by-100 meter relay event, which starts on the second week of the Summer Games in Paris.
While Richardson has competed in the upper echelon of the track world for several years now -- and won just about everything there is to win at the junior and collegiate levels -- she hasn't drawn the same attention as fellow American Olympic stars like Simone Biles.
That's mostly because of the controversial suspension Richardson faced in 2021, causing her to miss the Summer Games in Tokyo. Then 21, Richardson had qualified for the Olympics but then tested positive for marijuana. The United States Anti-Doping Agency levied a one-month suspect, dashing Richardson's hopes of competing in Tokyo.
But Richardson is back now and perhaps better than ever.
Here's what you need to know about U.S. gold medal hopeful:
When does Sha'Carri Richardson race at the Olympics?
- Friday, August 2
- 4:35 a.m. ET/3:35 a.m. CT: Women's 100M preliminary round
- 5:50 a.m. ET/4:50 a.m. CT: Women's 100M Round 1
- Saturday, August 3
- 1:50 p.m. ET/12:50 p.m. CT: Women's 100M semifinal
- 3:20 p.m. ET/2:20 p.m. CT: Women's 100M final
- Thursday, August 8
- 5:10 a.m. ET/4:10 a.m. CT: Women's 4-by-100M relay round 1
- Friday, August 9
- 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT: Women's 4-by-100M relay final
Where is Sha'Carri Richardson from?
Richardson is from Dallas and attended Carter High School, where she starred on the track.
Richardson was ranked the No. 1-ranked sprinting recruit in 2018 by FloTrack and MileSplit, and for good reason: She won five University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 4A state championships, three in the 100-meter dash (2016, 2017, 2018) and two in the 200-meter dash (2017, 2018).
Richardson's 100-meter dash times of 11.12 and 11.28 in 2018 and 2017, respectively, are two fastest times in state championship history. Her 200-meter dash time of 23.02 in 2018 is also tops among state championship times in that event, and her 23.48 time in 2017 was fifth-fastest.
Yes, she's been really fast for a really long time.
Where did Sha'Carri Richardson go to college?
Out of high school, Richardson signed with Louisiana State University (LSU) and found immediate success on the outdoor track. After finishing seventh in the 60-meter dash indoor event as a freshman, Richardson set the collegiate record in the 100-meter dash at the outdoor championships to win her first NCAA title. Her time of 10.75 seconds was ninth-fastest in world history and fifth-fastest in U.S. history. And she was just a college freshman.
Richardson's performance in 2019 -- which also included four different All-American selections and three different SEC championship titles -- was apparently convincing enough: She turned pro after just one season in college.
What happened to Sha'Carri Richardson before the 2021 Olympics?
With the 2020 Olympics delayed a year because of COVID-19, Richardson burst onto the national stage in June 2021 at the U.S. Olympic trials. She won the 100-meter event with a time of 10.86 seconds.
Then everything changed.
Shortly after securing her spot in the Tokyo Games, Richardson tested positive for marijuana, which is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency and the United States Anti-Doping Agency. The result was a 30-day suspension that came down at the beginning of July 2021 and ran through the beginning of the Olympics, bumping her out of the 100-meter competition.
During an emotional interview with the TODAY show, Richardson explained that she "wanted to take responsibility for her actions" and addressed the positive test.
"I know what I did, and I know what I was supposed to do and allowed not to do. I still made that decision," she said. "I'm not making any excuse or looking for any empathy."
How did Sha'Carri Richardson qualify for the 2024 Olympics?
Richardson won the 100-meter event at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, running a time of 10.71 seconds in the final to finish ahead of Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry, who also made the team.
Richardson didn't fare as well in the 200-meter event, finishing fourth with a time of 22.16 seconds, missing the podium and qualification for the Olympics. But her ultimate goal -- competing in her best event, the 100-meter -- was accomplished with ease.
Richardson's Olympic trials performance, which bested her time of 10.86 seconds back in 2021, reflected her mantra heading into the Olympics: "I'm not back. I'm better."
How does Sha'Carri Richardson's personal-best times compare all-time?
Richardson's personal-best time in the 100-meter race is 10.65 seconds, which ranks tied for fifth all-time. She set the mark at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where she won gold.
Florence Griffith-Joyner set the world record of 10.49 seconds in 1988. One of Richardson's Olympic opponents, Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce holds the third all-time mark, at 10.60 seconds set in 2021. Fraser-Pryce, 37, won Olympic gold in the 100-meter in 2008 and 2012, but Richardson is entering Paris as the favorite.
