What happened to Sha'Carri Richardson's mother? Recalling events that led to American sprinter's doping suspension

American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson will soon make her Olympic debut in Paris. While the 24-year-old was born to the late Shayaria Richardson, she was brought up by her grandmother, Betty Harp, and her aunt, Shay Richardson.

Richardson's biological mother passed away in 2021, which became one of the biggest reasons behind her setback during that period.

Richardson is ready for the Paris Olympics, where she will run in the 100m and 200m dash races. Her debut was scheduled for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but she had to pull out of the event due to a positive cannabis test.

The 2020 Summer Olympics, originally scheduled for 2020, were postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19. This was during this time that Sha'Carri Richardson's biological mother passed away. The loss significantly impacted the athlete, as she used cannabis as a coping mechanism.

Let's dive into the relationship she shared with her biological parents.

Sha'Carri Richardson's biological parents

Sha'Carri Richardson's mother, Shayaria Richardson, was also a track and field athlete. Sha'Carri once publicly spoke about her mother and thanked her for bringing her into the world.

She was reportedly abandoned by her mother. However, the athlete never discussed her father in public. There is not a lot of information about him online. Neither of the parents spent much time with their daughters, and Sha'Carri was completely looked after by her grandmother and aunt.

Sha'Carri Richardson opens up about her grandmother

The American sprinter recently sat down for an interview with Vogue, where she spoke openly about her grandmother. Crediting her grandmother as the "foundation" of her success, the sprinter talked about her immense influence.

Her grandmother, whom Sha'Carri calls "Big Momma", also weighed in on the role she has played in the athlete's life.

"Sha'Carri's tough; I made her tough." said Harp. "I am a strong woman, I’ve overcome obstacles in my life. So I knew what I was talking about when, from time to time, things got hard and she’d want to quit, and I’d say, ‘Don’t start nothing and don’t finish it. You start, you finish."

Following this, the 24-year-old praised her grandmother, saying,

"Everything I am, it’s because of that strong, wise Black woman. Everything. I mean, I’ve been blessed, because I’ve had other people in my life who have helped me along. But the foundation, that’s her.”

Richardson recently starred in a Netflix sprint docuseries, graced Vogue's 2024 issue, and delivered a dominant performance at the US trials. Now, she'll compete in Paris for the 2024 Olympics, slated for July 26–August 11.