Athlete Sha'Carri Richardson confidently declared her comeback and improvement this season with the words, "I'm not back, I'm better." This declaration was emphatically reinforced at the 2023 track and field world championships held in Budapest, Hungary.
Fastest Woman In The World
Richardson encountered significant challenges to qualify for the women's final. She secured third place in her semifinal heat and had to rely on her time (10.84 seconds) to progress to the final round.
In the ultimate race, Richardson began slowly from lane 9 but swiftly overtook her competitors during the acceleration and drive phases. As she crossed the finish line, she raised her arms in jubilation.
The spirited sprinter has now earned the official title of the fastest woman globally. Richardson achieved a remarkable time of 10.65 seconds, securing her first-ever world title in the women's 100 meters. Her performance set a new record for the championship, surpassing Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's previous record by a mere 0.02 seconds.
Taking second place was Jamaica's Shericka Jackson, who completed the race in 10.72 seconds, while Fraser-Pryce finished third with a time of 10.77 seconds.
Sha'Carri Richardson is a WORLD CHAMPION in the 100m!#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/Mx3mxv5UzL
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 21, 2023
Who Is Sha'Carri Richardson?
With this victory, Richardson becomes the initial American woman to seize a world title in the 100-meter event since the late Tori Bowie secured gold at the 2017 championships. She joins fellow American Noah Lyles as a 2023 100-meter world champion, as Lyles clinched gold in the men's 100 meters during Sunday's final. This achievement marks the first instance of American athletes sweeping both men's and women's 100-meter world titles since 2017, when Bowie and Justin Gatlin both stood atop the podium in the London event.
The 23-year-old sprinter gained attention in 2021 when she faced a one-month suspension for testing positive for marijuana during the US Olympic trials. She attributed the positive test to her emotional struggles at the time, which ultimately led to her missing the Tokyo Olympics that year.
Now, two years later, Richardson has undoubtedly proven her resurgence and enhanced performance on the track by earning the title of the newly crowned world champion.
Suggested Reading: 'My Strength': Spain Captain Learns Of Father's Death After Victory