Sha’Carri Richardson broke this year’s record for the women’s 100m race. She came in first with a time of 10.82 seconds at the U.S. Championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Friday. Richardson is officially qualified for the World Championships in August. It will be her first global contest.
She arrived on the track with her signature orange wig. This time, she took it off and tossed it aside before getting in the starting blocks. After her win, Richardson posted a photograph of herself at the same time last year.
“I remember you, I love you,” she captioned the post.
Tossing her wig to the side and giving her old self a nod, Richardson is announcing a new era in her athleticism career. Last year, she competed on the same track to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. She was barred from the competition after testing positive for marijuana. Richardson shared that she took the substance to help her cope with her mother’s death.
“I’ve been a champion,” she told interviewer Lewis Johnson after Friday’s race. “The thing I remember the most is the last time I think I stood here, on this stadium, with you, and I did an interview when I knew I wasn’t ready to do one. But now I stand here with you again, and I’m ready, mentally, physically and emotionally, and I’m here to stay.”
“I’m not back. I’m better,” Richardson added before leaving the track.
On Sunday, Richardson competed in the women’s 200m race and finished second behind Tokyo 2020 200m bronze medalist Gabby Thomas.
