Nationwide — 21-year old Sha’Carri Richardson has officially made the 2021 U.S. Olympic team after an amazing performance in Eugene, Oregon where she won first place in the women’s 100-meter semis in 10.64 seconds. She was only .01 seconds away from beating the previous record set by Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce in 2019.
“To be able to have her here at the biggest meet in my life, and to cross the finish line and run up the steps to hug [my grandmother] knowing I’m an Olympian, actually that’s probably better than winning the race,” Richardson said.
Sha’Carri’s win makes her the youngest woman to win the 100 meters at the Olympic Trials since Alice Brown in 1980 at age 19. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, she first made history as a student at Louisiana State University (LSU) when she broke the collegiate record in the 100 meters at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
She made history again in April 2021 when she clocked a speed of 10.72 seconds at the Miramar Invitation in Florida, which established her as the sixth-fastest woman in history.
Based on that, it seems her best performance is yet to come when the 2021 Olympics kick off on July 23rd. She will then have the chance to become the fastest woman, and perhaps the fastest person, in the world.
