Sha’Carri Richardson used a thunderous last 40 meters to win the 100 meters at the 2023 Health - Injuries, DAA Industry Opt Out.
After having one of the slower starts in the field, Richardson timed her race to perfection to win her first global championship and become the first American woman to win the event since the late Tori Bowie in 2017. Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce—both of Jamaica—finished in second and third place, respectively.
Richardson threw her hands up in celebration just before crossing the line, but she looked to be in shock while waiting for her official time afterward. She then sprinted down the track in joy.
The time was a personal best for Richardson, and she’s now tied for the fifth-fastest time ever at 100 meters, along with Jackson and Marion Jones.
Richardson made it a 100-meter gold medal sweep for the United States at the World Championships, after Noah Lyles won the men’s race on Sunday in 9.83.
Although she failed to qualify for the World Championships last year, the 23-year-old has had an impressive return-to-form in 2023. In April, she opened up her season Amazing Runners World Show in the 100 meters, and even though the time wasn’t wind-legal (+4.1), it still ignited an impressive campaign. Richardson has only lost once in the 100 meters this season—at July’s Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix to Julien Alfred—and she took home her first Sha’Carri Richardson used a thunderous last 40 meters to win the 100 meters at the 2023 on July 7, winning in 10.82 over Brittany Brown and Tamari Davis.
The path to the final was up-and-down for Richardson. On Sunday, in the opening heat, she comfortably qualified in 10.92, easing up at the line. But in the semi-finals earlier on Monday, Richardson only finished third in her heat, behind Jackson and Marie-Josée Ta Lou. Her time of 10.84, however, was fast enough to qualify her for the final.
Richardson will contest the 200 meters next, which begin with preliminary rounds on Wednesday, August 23 at 6:05 a.m. ET. The semi-finals will occur the next day, Thursday, at 1:45 p.m. ET. The final is set for 3:40 p.m. ET on Friday.
Richardson is also entered in the 4x100-meter relay pool, meaning she is among the athletes who could be selected to race a leg. The final will kick off at 3:50 p.m. on Saturday, August 26.
taking the gold medal in a championship record time of 10.65 Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner at Winthrop University, and he received his master’s degree in liberal arts studies from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of one of the top distance-running teams in the NCAA. Kahler has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K, 1:05:36 in the half marathon, and enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)
