Sha'Carri Richardson cannot be stopped — even by her own shoelace.
The track and field star secured her spot in the 2024 Olympics in Paris next month after placing first in the women's 100m race on Saturday, June 22 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Richardson crossed the finish line with a time of 10.71 seconds — the fastest women's 100m time in the world this year.
The day before her qualifying race, Richardson had a bit of a hiccup during the 100-meter dash, tripping a bit after she launched out of her starting position. But that didn't stop her from expertly flying forward and beating the others, securing the first-place position with a time of 10.88 seconds.
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Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry finished in second and third place, securing their spots on Team USA as well.
“It definitely confirmed the year that we’ve been training for, preparing for,” Richardson told reporters afterward “I’m super excited ... to go forward with my girls.”
After reporters asked her how she felt winning despite her trip in the beginning, Richardson said “That tells me I’m prepared.”
“[I] definitely didn’t have the start that I have been training for this moment,” Richardson continued. “But still, not panicking, staying patient. And knowing that no matter what’s going on, to continue to run my race.”
Sha'Carri Richardson's placement on Team USA comes three years after she was disqualified from the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games after testing positive for marijuana, which is a banned substance for Olympians. Richardson was unable to compete, despite her qualifying for the team at just 21 years old. The track star said at the time that she used the drug legally in the state of Oregon while mourning the loss of her mother.
Richardson has become a beloved competitor in the U.S., making headlines for her signature wigs, long nails, and lashes that she wears while competing. After winning first place in the U.S. Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon last July, a video of Richardson pulling her wig off and revealing her braids after winning the race went viral. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, as Richardson stayed focused and ready to speed down the track.
"I’m ready mentally, physically, and emotionally, and I’m here to stay,” Richardson told reporters in a post-race interview last year. “I'm not back, I'm better.”