"Being happy is an understatement"- When Sha'Carri Richardson qualified for 2020 Tokyo Olympics before receiving a doping suspension

Sha'Carri Richardson has already enjoyed an impressive career during which, she has won three World Championships medals so far.

Richardson made headlines in 2019 following a record-breaking performance in the NCAA Championships. She broke the NCAA 100m record in 10.75 seconds, becoming the tenth-fastest of all time at just 19. Two years later, she was en route to her first Olympics with another record-breaking performance.

The world champion clocked 10.72s in April 2021 to become the fourth-fastest American in history. A few weeks later, she won the 100m finals at the USA Track and Field Trials to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. Speaking in an interview after the race, Richardson had claimed there were no limits to her happiness.

"It's a dream since I've been young," Richardson said on NBC. "Being happy is an understatement. All of those feelings in one."

Fortunately, her grandmother was there to witness Sha'Carri Richardson accomplish her childhood dream. Speaking about her grandmother, Richardson had expressed:

"She's always been right there," Richardson said. "My grandmother is my superwoman. To have her here at the biggest meet of my life... it felt amazing."

However, Richardson’s dreams of playing at the Olympics were shattered soon when she tested positive for the use of Marijuana. She accepted a one-month suspension, and her results from the U.S. Olympic Trials were also disqualified. The 24-year-old later claimed that she had smoked Marijuana to cope with her mother's death.

Sha'Carri Richardson geared up for Paris Olympics 2024

2024 Prefontaine Classic

Sha'Carri Richardson missed the entire 2024 indoor season and opened her outdoor season last month at the Xiamen Diamond League. She finished 2nd in 200m at Xiamen, and a week later, placed 3rd at Shanghai Diamond League.

However, Richardson rose back with a dominant performance at the Prefontaine Classic 2024. She clocked a blistering 10.83s to beat a stacked field, including the fastest woman alive, Elaine Thompson-Herah. Speaking with USA Today after the race, Richardson expressed gratitude, also claiming she was ready to make it to Team USA for the Paris Olympics 2024.

“I’m excited, I’m eager going into the rest of this season, I’m growing, developing and just getting ready to make that USA Team", she claimed.

While Sha'Carri Richardson is yet to make her Olympic debut, she already has three medals from the World Championships, all in 2023 in Budapest. She won gold in the 100m event, beating the likes of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson. The American won bronze in 200m, finishing behind Jackson and Gabby Thomas.

Her second gold in Budapest came in the 4x100m relay, where she teamed up with Gabby Thomas, Twanisha Terry and Tamari Davis.