She stands out. She loves the big show. And now she finally wants to make her international breakthrough. Allow me: Sha’Carri Richardson. The 23-year-old American has been one of the best sprinters in the world for several years – but is still on the world stage for the first time in Budapest.
Because the career of the native Texan is like a roller coaster ride. It went up and down. Currently, Richardson is back on the way up. At the World Championships, she wants to scale the summit and win the title in the 100 meters. “I’m ready: mentally, physically and emotionally,” she said after winning the US Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July.
In Eugene a statement towards the World Cup
There, Richardson had stormed the finish line in the pre-run in the world’s best time of 10.71 seconds and had confirmed this achievement with 10.76 seconds in the semifinals, before it caused a stir even before the final. As the camera panned to her, Richardson ripped off her wig. “Oh, wow,” commented TV expert and ex-sprinter Ato Boldon on the scene.
He was just as surprised as the thousands of fans at Eugene’s Hayward Field. The long, orange synthetic hair lay behind Richardson on the track, revealing black and white dreadlocks. “She wants to make a statement here, to tell everyone that she’s the one who has to be defeated at the World Cup,” Boldon continued.
Told about the death of the mother in a live interview
And indeed, Richardson made an announcement – not as clear as in the previous heats, but still won in 10.84 seconds. Two years ago she also triumphed on the same track, running to the title in 10.86 seconds and thus qualifying for the summer games. And just as she caused amazement with her wig this time, she really shocked everyone present with a statement in 2021.
The whole year, Richardson said in a live interview immediately after the run, had been crazy. She only found out last week that her biological mother had passed away. The news came as a surprise that interviewer Lewis Johnson promptly double-checked to make sure he hadn’t misheard.
Pain and sadness numbed with marijuana
What Richardson didn’t say immediately at the time: To get through the emotional cocktail of qualifying pressure and grief, she had smoked marijuana during the title fights. This became public a few days later when her doping test was announced. Marijuana is legal in the US state of Oregon, where the championships were held. However, the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA has it on the list of banned substances.
“I want to take responsibility for what I did. I knew what was legal and what wasn’t, and I made my choice anyway,” Richardson said.
Attempted suicide in high school
She grew up with her grandmother because her mother left her when she was young. She recently made it clear how much she was moved by this in a TikTok video. In it, Richardson emphasized that she went through “tough times” and even attempted suicide during her high school years.
Due to the positive test, she was stripped of the championship title in 2021, Richardson was suspended for a month and thus missed the summer games. That caused a lot of misunderstanding in the USA at the time. Sports stars like Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes or former NBA professional Dwyane Wade reported via Twitter – and said that Richardson should just start.
Even US President Biden reacts to the suspension
Even US President Joe Biden made a statement – albeit a little differently. Regulations are regulations, stressed Biden. Whether they should remain so, well, that is another question. But overall, Biden said he was very proud of how Richardson responded.
After the suspension, things went quiet around Richardson for a while. Last year she missed the final over 100 meters at the US Championships – and thus also the qualification for the home World Championships in Eugene. But now she’s back. And she is better than ever, she emphasized after her victory at the trials a few weeks ago.
Appearance reminiscent of “Flo-Jo”
Richardson, who with her flashy outfits and extremely long fingernails is reminiscent of the double Olympic champion Florence Griffith-Joyner, who died in 1998, is considered a co-favorite in Budapest. Faster than she, the fastest wig in the world, was only last year’s Jamaican World Cup runner-up, Shericka Jackson (10.65 seconds).
