Sha’Carri Richardson was completely perplexed after the gold coup. It was only on the lap of honor wrapped in the national flag that the great feeling of happiness was released.
The US girl celebrated her first major highlight with the title over 100 meters at her first World Championships in Athletics. “I’m here, I’m the champion. I told you all that. I’m not back – I’m better,” said the 23-year-old. “One must never give up! You must fight and determine your own destiny.”
Richardson failed to qualify for the World Cup at home last year. At the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, she had to watch blocked. Marijuana consumption had been proven in a doping test, so she was not allowed to start. Richardson explained the breach with dealing with pressure and with the strain of her birth mother’s death.
100m gold doubles for USA
Now she seems stronger than ever. Richardson won Monday’s title fights in Budapest in 10.65 seconds. Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson took silver in 10.72 seconds. Defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price from Jamaica, who has already been world champion five times, secured bronze in 10.77 seconds. European champion Gina Lückenkemper from Germany had clearly missed the intended entry into her first World Cup final.
In contrast, the world champion turned on. “I feel great. I believed in myself and I’m grateful that I got a result like this. I did my race, I was on my own,” said Richardson.
For the first time since 2017, the two 100-meter titles go back to the USA. The men’s Noah Lyles had won the night before Richardson. And like him, the super sprinter has other goals at the World Cup. Like Lyles, Lückenkemper’s training partner, she also competes in the 200 meters.
