"We did it"- Sha'Carri Richardson reflects on her campaign at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials campaign

Sha'Carri Richardson's campaign at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials has come to a close, and she reflected on her time in Eugene. Tthe American walked away with gold and an Olympic berth in the 100m event but missed out on the podium and a ticket to Paris in the 200m.

Richardson came into the competition as the reigning 100m and 4x100m World Champion, as well as the World Championships bronze medalist in the 200m. At the Tokyo 2020 Trials, the sprinter had stormed to gold in the 100m, only to later be suspended over substance usage and be stripped of her Olympic spot.

Now, after the completion of 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, Richardson has walked out of Oregon a newly minted Olympian in the 100m. Taking some time to share her thoughts about her time in Eugene with fans, the sprinter shared a large number of photos from the event. She penned down a simple note, writing,

“As I reflect over the past few days, I must say I am proud of HER. I am proud of US. We did it.”

Sha'Carri Richardson opened her campaign at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on June 21, clocking the fastest time of the day with a 10.88 seconds. In her semis, she went on to run a time of 10.86, before stopping the clock at 10.71 to win the finals.

The American opened her 200m outing at the Trials on Friday, June 26, once again clocking the fastest time in qualifying with a season best of 21.99. The next day, Richardson equalled her personal best time of 21.92 seconds in the semis. However, in the finals, the sprinter missed out on the podium, clocking a 22.16, marking the first time she'd failed to dip under the 22 second mark at the Trials.

Sha'Carri Richardson: The past three years I've grown into a better understanding of myself

Sha'Carri Richardson with her 100m gold medal at the US Olympic Trials

Sha'Carri Richardson was nearly impeccable in the 100m final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. Reminiscent of her opening round races, the 24-year-old got off to a somewhat shaky start, before zooming past her compatriots ahead of the finish line.

Celebrating before crossing the finish line, Richardson knew exactly what she'd done when she clocked a world lead of 10.71 seconds, she had officially become an Olympian.

Speaking on her thoughts as she crossed the line, Richardson had only a handful of words for the NBC reporter,

“Just: Hard work pays off. That's all. Hard work pays off.”

She then went on to add to talk about how far she's come from 2021, saying,

"I would say in the past three years I've grown into a better understanding of myself and a deeper respect and appreciation for my gifts that I have in the sport, as well as my responsibility to the people that believe and support me.”

For Sha'Carri Richardson, the experience of her debut Olympics will be made all the more sweet by the fact that she gets to do it alongside her training partners Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry. Speaking on the opportunity to compete together as Team USA, she said,

“It's a full-circle moment to be grateful, appreciative of the direction that we're headed towards and where we've come from. And I'm super excited to continue to grow and build from this momentum that we've already established from here.”

While Sha'Carri Richardson will be faced with a deeper field come time at the 2024 Olympics, she will very much be one of the favorites for the 100m podium in Paris.