Sha’Carri Richardson showed up and showed out at the Diamond League season opener in Doha on Friday.
The first-rate athlete won the 100m in 10.76 seconds—the fastest time in the world this year. She has been the only American woman to break 10.80 seconds since 2017. Her personal best was 10.72 seconds in 2019.
The 23-year old broke the 2023 record of 10.82 seconds set by Jamaican Sherika Jackson who came in second place at 10.85 seconds. The third-place winner was Dina Asher-Smith who came in at 10.98 seconds. The athlete wore waist-length braids and a colossal smile as she celebrated her record-breaking win.
“I found my peace back on the track, and I’m not letting anything or anybody take that anymore,” the track star told NBC Sports.
This increases Dallas native’s chances at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in July, where the top three in the 100m will be in the running to qualify for world championships in Budapest in August.
Richardson was expected to be a big winner at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics but was banned from the race after testing positive for marijuana. The then 21-year-old admitted to using cannabis after hearing about the recent death of her biological mother. In an interview with NBC, Richardson took accountability for her misstep.
“I want to take responsibility for my actions, I know what I did and what I’m not supposed to do,” Richardson said.
The debacle wasn’t all bad for the sprinter. She was offered a $250K endorsement deal with vape company, Dr. Dabber which she declined. Nike, who had been sponsoring the athlete since 2019, refused to revoke her endorsement deal.
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“We appreciate Sha’Carri’s honesty and accountability and will continue to support her through this time,” the company said, told an ESPN reporter.
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