Sha'Carri Richardson is one of the most recognizable figures in the track and field world.
She has fluorescent hair and long nails inspired by Florence Griffith Joyner to go along with blazing speed. Even though her status for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics is in doubt due to a positive drug test for marijuana, she has proven time and time again that she's one of the fastest runners on Earth.
Before she was making waves this year, Richardson was breaking records at LSU.
Sha'Carri Richardson Sets NCAA 100-Meter Dash Record
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Richardson hails from Dallas, Texas. She quickly rose through the junior track world all the way to Louisiana State University, where she was a star for the LSU Lady Tigers track and field team.
Richardson quickly made her presence known as a freshman. She sprinted her way through the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 4x100-meter relay.
The most memorable performance of her college career came in the 100-meter dash at the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
In lane six, Richardson blew by all the competition to win the race with a time of 10.75 seconds, setting a new NCAA record. She took out competition from Texas, North Carolina A&T, USC, Arkansas, Norfolk State and Florida State. The win helped the Lady Tigers finish in third place.
The blazing performance was a preview of what was to come.
Richardson dropped out of LSU after one year to turn pro. She posted a time of 10.86 seconds at the 2020 United States Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon and looked prime to win the gold medal in Tokyo.
The 21-year-old American sprinter was poised to be one of the stars at the Olympic games, however, she hit a roadblock after testing positive for cannabis in July 2021.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency handed Richardson a one-month suspension, which forfeited all her winnings from the U.S. Olympic trials and disqualified her from the 100-meter race in Tokyo.
She could compete in the 4x100-meter relay, which runs on August 6th.
Richardson may not be able to compete in the 100-meter race for the U.S. Olympic team, but she is still one of the fastest, if not the fastest, women in the world. Her record-setting race with LSU proved that, too.
