Sha'Carri Richardson stuns on cover of Vogue as Team USA sprinter claims she's 'better at being myself' after Olympic ban for testing positive for weed

By Daniel Matthews

Published: | Updated:

US sprint sensation Sha'Carri Richardson insists she is now a better version of herself - both on and off the track - as she prepares to go for Olympic gold, three years after her ban for drugs. 

Richardson is the fastest woman in the world and favorite to win the 100m at this year's Games in Paris.

The 24-year-old was denied the chance to compete in the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, after she was suspended from the USA team. 


Richardson was tipped to win gold before she tested positive for THC, a chemical found in marijuana. 

Amid the ensuing scandal, the sprinter said she used the drug to cope with 'emotional panic', after being told that her biological mother had recently died. 

US track sensation Sha'Carri Richardson insists she is now a better version of herself

US track sensation Sha'Carri Richardson insists she is now a better version of herself

The American sprinter was tipped for gold at the Tokyo Games before failing a drugs test

The American sprinter was tipped for gold at the Tokyo Games before failing a drugs test

Three years on, Richardson is on the cover of Vogue magazine and she insists ahead of her Olympic debut that she has learned from past experiences. 

Her new mantra is 'I’m not back, I’m better'. She told Vogue: 'I don’t just mean I’m a better runner... it’s beyond that. I’m better at being Sha’Carri. I’m better at being myself.'

She added: 'Most people, they only think of track every four years. The Olympics, that’s all there is — those few seconds on TV. 

'But for me, track is my life on a day-to-day basis. Everything I do—what I eat, what I drink, if I stay up too late—it’s all reflected on the track. Every choice. That’s what the world doesn’t see.'

'I don¿t just mean I¿m a better runner... I¿m better at being myself,' Richard said this week

'I don’t just mean I’m a better runner... I’m better at being myself,' Richard said this week

Three years on from her drugs ban, Richardson is on the cover of Vogue magazine

Three years on from her drugs ban, Richardson is on the cover of Vogue magazine

Richardson was raised by her grandmother - known as 'Big Momma' - and they would race from the bottom of the hill to the car in South Dallas. 

'She didn’t slow down, she didn’t let me win. And I think it was in fifth grade, the day I touched the car first. And that’s when I knew (I was special),' the sprinter said.

'Every time I step on to the track, I think of all those moments when I was younger—all those feelings are still with me, I’m just that little girl grown up.'

She added: 'It’s almost like a flashback journey, everything that brought me to that point. All the grind, all the sacrifice. And there’s a feeling of, this moment is special because all of that, the good, the bad, it’s brought me here. And I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.' 

Team USA