Sha’Carri Richardson gets first place during the 2023 World Championships.

Destined To Be Legendary

Some of the greatest sports stories have the most sorrowful elements. Sha’Carri Richardson is no exception to this trend. Popular in the media after she was suspended before the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo (which actually took place in 2021 because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic at the time), Sha’Carri’s story has sparked controversy over drug usage in professional sports. Since this major setback, Richardson has regained her well-deserved status as one of the greatest female sprinters of the current generation.

Reclaiming Her Crown

Originally from Dallas, Texas, Sha’Carri Richardson has always been a star on the track. Her talent continued from Texas to Louisiana where she attended Louisiana State University in 2019. During her time at LSU, she was able to achieve accomplishments that most athletes only dream of: Richardson currently owns the collegiate record in the 100m dash at 10.75 seconds, she won the 2019 NCAA Championships in the 100m dash, and even won the famed Bowerman award (and these aren’t even all the accomplishments she achieved before and during her time at LSU). She ended her time at LSU in 2019 after the national championships and became a professional sprinter, signing with the sportswear brand Nike. With the 2020 Olympic Games on the horizon, Sha’Carri undoubtedly had her motives set on winning gold, and so did the public eye. With the Olympic Trials and Games taking place in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sha’Carri’s dreams were already becoming a reality. She had won the U.S. Olympic Trials, automatically qualifying her for the Games. But just after the Trials, Sha’Carri was disqualified because of a positive marijuana test. She was suspended for a month, and the only remaining chance she had at an Olympic opportunity was with the 4×100 event. Unfortunately, the US did not send her to Tokyo on the 4×100 team, so Richardson’s 2020 Olympic aspirations had come to an end. To many, Richardson’s use of marijuana was not a big deal, as marijuana is not a performance enhancing drug and she was using it to counteract the anxious emotions she was experiencing during the Olympic Trials when her biological mother passed away. This event was extremely influential in the world of track and field, and athletics in general, as the use of marijuana being punishable in professional sports became a highly debated concept. But even though Sha’Carri experienced a major setback, she showed the mark of a true athlete and refused to give up. In 2023, just two years after her Olympic disqualification, she won first place at the World Athletics Championships, one of the most competitive competitions of the year. With this recent success, Sha’Carri Richardson is undoubtedly focusing her energy and determination on reclaiming her position as a titan on the track for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Richardson’s reaction after crossing the finish line at the 2023 World Championships.

A Lasting Influence

The career of Sha’Carri Richardson is a great showcase of individual strength. Her comeback after being disqualified from the Olympics has provided an example for not only young fans, but for the world, as it is a testament of the true impact of being resilient. Things don’t always go according to plan, but there is still greatness to be found even in hard times. Arguably one of the most essential aspects of Sha’Carri Richardson’s career is this: never giving up means reaching across whatever finish line is ahead, even in the face of adversity.