Sha'carri Richardson: A look into the life of the world’s fastest woman and her rise to stardom

Sha'Carri Richardson celebrating after winning the world championship. Credit: @itsshacarri/Instagram

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American track and field star, Sha'Carri Richardson

Sha'carri Richardson: A look into the life of the world’s fastest woman and her rise to stardom

Kolawole Babatunde 00:09 - 30.04.2024

American track and field star, Sha'Carri Richardson, is known for her lightning speed and captivating personality. She competes in the 100- and 200-metre heats and first rose to the limelight in 2019. Find out more about one of the fastest women in history and her rise to prominence.

Sha'carri Richardson has had her fair share of ups and downs in life, but she has risen above them every time to get to where she is today. The 2023 world champion has lost her mother, been into drugs and got banned, but her redemption arc has been nothing but an inspiration to many .

Sha'carri Richardson's age

Sha'Carri Richardson was born on March 25, 2000, making her 24 years old at the time of writing this. Despite being a young sprinter, the American has already achieved incredible things, breaking records and becoming one of the fastest women in history. 

Sha'carri Richardson's height 

Sha'Carri Richardson might be one of the biggest track and field talents, but she falls on the short side for sprinters at 5 feet 1 inch (155 cm). However, what she lacks in stature, she makes up for in explosive power and exceptional technique. She has a lower center of gravity than most and this has helped her with strong starts and a unique sprinting style that has taken her to the top of the food chain.

Sha'carri Richardson posing for a shoot. Credit: @itsshacarri/Instagram

Sha'carri Richardson's mother 

Sha'Carri Richardson's mother is Shayaria Richardson, who, according to reports, was also a track and field athlete. However, along with Richardson’s father, she was not extensively present in the life of her daughter. 

Due to the absence of Richardson’s mother, she was raised by her grandmother, Betty Harp, and her aunt. Despite the absence, the 24-year-old has publicly shown gratitude towards her mother for birthing her into the world. 

Tragedy struck in 2021, though, when Sha'Carri Richardson lost her mother. This took a major toll on her career, as she was disqualified for failing a drug test leading up to the Olympics, testing positive for marijuana few weeks after winning the women's 100m U.S. Olympic Trials. Richardson later revealed in an interview that she resorted to the banned substance to cope with the passing of her biological mother, an incident that occurred a week before the Olympic trials.

Where is Sha'carri Richardson from?

Sha'Carri Richardson hails from Dallas, Texas, USA. The Texan sprinter rose to prominence while attending high school there, becoming a national-level competitor. She began running in Dallas when she was nine, becoming a successful sprinter in middle school and high school. She then proceeded to attend Louisiana State University for one year before turning professional in 2019. Though she currently trains and competes across the country, Dallas is her hometown and where her journey to an impressive track career all began. 

How fast can Sha'carri Richardson run?

Sha'Carri Richardson is known for her blistering speed, and her personal best legal time sits at an impressive 10.65 seconds in the 100 meters, which she clocked to win the 100m title at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest

What is Sha'carri Richardson's fastest time?

Unofficially, Sha'carri Richardson clocked an even faster 10.57 seconds with a strong tailwind at the 2023 Miramar Invitational, showcasing her immense potential.

Who is Sha'carri Richardson's coach?

Sha'Carri Richardson is coached by Dennis Mitchell, a former Olympic medalist himself. The seasoned track and field coach helped Richardson's career take off, and their collaboration has produced a lot of great moments. Mitchell's experience is a valuable asset to Richardson's training. He had an accomplished career during his active years as an athlete, securing gold in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics' 4x100m relay while also winning a bronze and a silver medal in the 100m and 4x100m relay, respectively. 

Mitchell, who also coaches’ Noah Lyles, won the coveted Coach of the Year award in 2023 after both Richardson and Noah won several medals at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

Is Sha'carri Richardson married?

No, Sha’Carri Richardson is not married at the time of writing this. The American athlete is single, according to various sources, and does not have anyone she is dating. However, she previously dated female Jamaican athlete Janeek Brown for two years before they ended the relationship in February 2022.

Sha'carri Richardson's ex, Janeek Brown. Credit: X

Sha'carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson

Sha'Carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson have developed a captivating rivalry on the track. Both are world-class sprinters and have pushed each other to new heights. In 2023, their battles were the highlights. While Richardson dominated the 100m, winning the World Championship title, Jackson reigned supreme in the 200m, setting the second-fastest time ever recorded. Fans are looking forward to their showdown in the 2024 Paris Olympics across both the 100m and 200m races. 

Sha'carri Richardson Olympics 

Sha'carri Richardson has never been at an Olympic event in her career. Though she qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics after winning the women's 100 meter race in the United States Olympic Trials. However, her win was invalidated and she became ineligible to participate after testing positive for cannabis use after the U.S. Trials. 

Having bounced back from the setback to enjoy a breakout year in 2023, Richardson is now the favorite ahead of what will be her first ever Olympics in Paris 2024. 

Sha'carri Richardson. Credit: @itsshacarri/Instagram

Sha'carri Richardson Instagram 

Sha'carri Richardson has a strong presence on Instagram (@itsshacarri), gathering over 3 million followers at the time of writing this. On her Instagram account, she often shows off her fashion style, represents brands, and updates her life events. 

Sha'carri Richardson and Nike

The world champion inked a five year deal with Nike in 2023, worth $20 million dollars. This deal came after she triumphed at the world stage, though she has been sponsored by the brand since 2019. However, aside from Nike, she also has a deal with Apple Music, Beats and Sprite

Sha'carri Richardson networth 

The American sprinter is estimated to be worth between $1 million to $5 million. Majority of her wealth is from her earnings as a track and field athlete, as well as various endorsements with top brands like Nike, Beats, and Apple Music.

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