Sha’Carri Richardson

Sha'Carri LaNay Richardson is an American track and field sprinter who competes in the 100-meter and 200-meter events. Born on March 25, 2000, in Dallas, Texas, she was raised by her grandmother, Betty Harp, and an aunt. Richardson attended Carter High School, where she won Texas state titles in the 100 m and 200 m. As a junior athlete, she won 100 m titles at the AAU Junior Olympics in 2016 and the USATF Junior Olympics in 2017, and earned a gold medal in the 4 × 100 meter relay at the 2017 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships.

In 2018, Richardson enrolled at Louisiana State University to compete for the LSU Lady Tigers track and field team. As a freshman at the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships, she set a collegiate record in the 100 m with a winning time of 10.75 seconds. She also set a world U20 record in the 200 m, finishing as runner-up in 22.17 seconds. Shortly after the championships, Richardson announced she would forgo her remaining collegiate eligibility to turn professional, signing a sponsorship deal with Nike and training under Dennis Mitchell.

Richardson qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021, but her 100 m victory was invalidated after she tested positive for THC metabolites indicating recent cannabis use. She accepted a one-month suspension after completing a counseling program, but she was not selected for the U.S. Olympic team, missing the Tokyo Games. Richardson stated she used cannabis to cope with the pressure of qualifying following the recent death of her biological mother. She returned to competition later that year at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic.

In 2023, Richardson achieved major success on the national and international stage. After winning the 100 m title at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 10.82 seconds, she competed at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. There, she won the gold medal in the 100 m with a championship record time of 10.65 seconds, earned bronze in the 200 m, and won gold as part of Team USA in the 4 × 100 m relay in a championship record time of 41.03 seconds. She was named the 2023 Jackie Joyner-Kersee Female Athlete of the Year.

At the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, Richardson defended her national 100 m title with a winning time of 10.71 seconds, qualifying for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. At the Paris Games, she won the silver medal in the 100 m final and anchored the U.S. team to a gold medal in the 4 × 100 m relay.

Richardson continued competing internationally in subsequent seasons, winning another 4 × 100 m relay gold medal at the 2025 World Championships, taking victory in the 120 m Stawell Gift sprint in Australia in 2026, and regaining the U.S. 100 m title at the 2026 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In recognition of her achievements, a track at John Kincaide Stadium was named the Sha'Carri Richardson Track, and November 10, 2023, was declared Sha'Carri Richardson Day in Dallas, Texas.