Track runner Sha’Carri Richardson became a household name earlier this month when she beat her competitors and won the 100-meter race at the U.S. Olympics track and field trials earlier this month. Her victory on June 19 qualified her for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. 

During the race, Richardson wore an orange-colored wig and extra-long acrylic nails. But the sprinter recently ditched her wig for her natural tresses. In a now-deleted Instagram story, Richardson sported her afro using a filter called “Poppy,” which gave her image a sparkle effect. She captioned her photos “You come deal with this,” Allure Magazine reported.

Many people have compared the 21-year-old runner with the 1988 Olympic medalist Florence Griffith Joyner. Richardson shared a video of Joyner in an Instagram post, saying “Y’all love talking about my hair & my nails like the greatest woman to ever enter the game didn’t run in style. Flo-Jo came to the track and knew she was going to dominate.”

“The way she did that was graceful. I always liked that. If the amazing Flo-Jo had long nails, there was no excuse why I couldn’t have long nails,” Richardson said to the Associated Press.

She added that her girlfriend was actually the one who decided on the hair color, as Blavity previously reported. She said the color "spoke to her—the fact that it was just so loud and vibrant, and that’s who I am. She just wanted me to be able to make a statement — let’s continue to show the world I’m a force to be reckoned with."

The Tokyo Olympics games are slated to begin on July 23. Richardson says she plans to be the first to win the United States' first gold in the 400-meter event in 25 years, The Washington Post reported. 

As for how the track star plans to wear her hair during the Tokyo Olympics, Richardson told NBC Sports “I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve for my hair, so stay tuned.” 

While the athlete hasn't hinted at what she has up her sleeve, she recently shared that her hair color is a reflection of her mood, People reported.

"The color is based off how I want to feel. Like the red puts me in a very dominating mood. And sometimes I feel that can be overwhelming, so when I need to calm down I have black hair. The black calms me and makes me blend in instead of being extra," she explained.

"The blonde is for when I'm going home to Texas. Or I'll wear it when I am away from home and wanting to feel like home," she added.