Sha’Carri Richardson, a frontrunner to win the 100-meter dash at the 2024 Paris Olympics, officially qualified for the Summer Games after breezing past her competition in the U.S. Olympics trials.
Richardson posted 10.71 in the 100-meter sprint on Saturday night, which is the fastest time by a woman this year.
Richardson, 24, was pumped up just before she reached the finish line, celebrating her victory alongside Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry, who also qualified for the Olympics.
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Sha’Carri Richardson wins the women’s 100-meter final during the U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials at Hayward Field on June 22, 2024, in Eugene, Oregon. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Jefferson and Terry were right behind Richardson, posting 10.80 and 10.89, respectively.
Richardson’s qualification for the Olympics is a big deal, as she couldn’t participate in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after she tested positive for THC, which is found in marijuana.
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Richardson admitted using the substance during the Olympic trials in Oregon, where she also won the 100 meters. Marijuana was legalized in Oregon for recreational use, but the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency suspended her for 30 days due to the world Anti-Doping Agency’s ban of cannabis.
Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry and Sha’Carri Richardson react after competing in the women’s 100-meter final during the U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials on June 22, 2024, in Eugene, Oregon. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
In turn, Richardson couldn’t participate in her first career Olympics.
However, the 100-meter champion at the 2023 World Championships will have a chance to secure gold this time around, and the raw emotion showed on Richardson’s face as she got down on her knees on the track after crossing the finish line.
Sha’Carri Richardson crosses the finish line of the women’s 100-meter semi-final during the U.S. Olympic Team Track & Field Trials on June 22, 2024. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
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“Every chapter I’ve been through in my life was designed to prepare me for this moment,” Richardson told NBC’s Lewis Johnson after the race. “I cannot wait to go to Paris and represent.”
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