The fastest woman in America is Black, queer and down right awe-inspiring. Only now she’ll be taking her talents to Tokyo where she’ll compete in the Tokyo Olympics this summer in the race to a gold medal!
Sha'Carri Richardson is an American female track and field sprinter ranked in the top ten fastest women for the 100 m with a time of 10.72 seconds. Just this past Saturday (June 19), Richardson competed and won the women’s 100-meter dash with a time of 10.86, qualifying her for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
In an emotional interview shortly following the race, Richardson states that none of this would be possible without the support of her family revealing that she tragically lost her mother a week before the race.
“My family has kept me grounded. This year has been crazy for me. Going from just last week, losing my biological mother, and still choosing to pursue my dream.”
Richardson started climbing the ladder as a college athlete for the Louisiana State University Lady Tigers track and field team. It was here that she caught major attention winning the 100 m title at the AAU junior Olympics and was a finalist in both the 60-meter dash and 200 m in the 2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships.
After training with former sprinter, Dennis Allen Mitchell it wasn’t long after that she decided to withdraw from her collegiate ability and go pro after just one season at LSU.
While the 21-year old’s incredible accomplishment is the talk of the town, fans can’t get over how fly she looks on the track! Richardson has become known for her sense of style during her races sporting long acrylic nails, lashes, plenty of tattoos and piercings and a full bright orange lace as she crosses the finish lines! In fact, we have Richardson’s girlfriend to thank for her bold looks on the field.
According to an interview with USA Today, the star athlete says that the hair color was actually her girlfriend’s idea.
“My girlfriend actually picked my [hair] color. She said it like spoke to her, the fact that it was just so loud and vibrant, and that’s who I am.”
Now all of America has got their eyes on Richardson! Even four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles has admitted that she’s a fan.
Richardson is certainly not your average sprinter. According to Olympics.com, Richardson stands at 5 feet 1 inches tall which is historically shorter than most sprinters. Being 21, Richardson is also the youngest of Team USA’s three 100-meter qualifiers.
Nonetheless, Richardson is clearly not letting anything hold her back this summer. It’s been over 2 decades since the U.S. has won Olympic gold in the women’s 100. With Richardson now taking the stage, anyone who competes against her would only do themselves a disservice underestimating the young athlete!
The #Gaye’s will be cheering loud and proud on the sidelines during the Summer Olympics as Sha’Carri Richardson attempts to bring home the gold medal! Be sure to follow her on Instagram to stay updated with her training until then.