Sha'Carri Richardson set to headline 100m and 200m events at U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials 2024

Sha'Carri Richardson has registered for the 100m and 200m events at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials 2024, scheduled for June 21 at the iconic Hayward Field. The world champion will look to make her first Olympic appearance at the Paris Olympics 2024.

After skipping the entirety of the 2024 indoor season, Richardson kicked off her outdoor season at the Xiamen Diamond League in April. She started with the 200m event but faced defeat at the hands of Australia’s Torrie Lewis. The 24-year-old lost by a fine margin of 0.03 seconds after clocking 22.99.

She next raced at the Shanghai Diamond League but lost again. Richardson finished slower than Xiamen, clocking 23.11s for third place. However, she made a dominant comeback when participating in the 100m, her premier event. The world champion clocked a blistering 10.83s to win the gold at the Prefontaine Classic 2024, faster than the time she won the 100m Olympic trials in 2021.

With only a week away, Sha'Carri Richardson has now declared herself for the 100m and 200m events at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials 2024. The 24-year-old is also expected to be named part of the 4x100m relay team if she does qualify in the individual event.

Richardson declares herself for 100m (via USATF)

Richardson will face tough competition from world leader Jacious Sears in the 100m, who clocked a blistering 10.77s at the Tom Jones Memorial in April. Sears is the second fastest in collegiate history, 0.02s behind Richardson’s record from 2019. The 200m event will see her battle with Gabby Thomas and Abby Steiner, two specialists in the discipline.

Richardson declares for 200m (via USATF)

Sha'Carri Richardson ‘eager’ to make it to her first USA Team for the Olympics

Day 8 - World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023

Sha'Carri Richardson clocked 10.86s to win the 100m event at the 2021 U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials. Although it did secure her a place at the Tokyo Olympics, the 24-year-old was soon stripped of the opportunity after testing positive for THC.

However, this year, Richardson claimed (via NBC):

"I'm better, I'm stronger and I'm wiser."

After displaying her prowess in the 100m season opener at the Prefontaine Classic 2024, Sha'Carri Richardson said she was ‘eager’ and ‘excited’ to make it to her first Olympics.

"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 told USA Today at the Hayward Field.

Richardson will be a favorite for the 100m gold at the Paris Olympics 2024. If she does win the event, she will become the first American woman to win the 100m Olympic gold since Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988.