Sha’Carri Richardson, a Dallas, TX, native and sprinter, clocked her biggest achievement this year by qualifying for the Olympic Games in Paris. The accomplishment came after her thrilling victory at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, where she set a record by running the 100 meters in 10.71 seconds, the quickest time ever recorded by a woman in the competition this year, according to World Athletics.
According to ABC News, after her triumph, the 24-year-old track and field sprinter went to her knees before embracing and celebrating with Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry, who also qualified for the Paris Olympics in times of 10.80 and 10.89 seconds, respectively.
Despite having won the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic trials, the trailblazer was disqualified from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 due to a positive test for THC, a substance present in marijuana. She had become the fastest woman in America and was set to contend for gold.
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Richardson then told reporters that she turned to marijuana during the Olympic trials in Oregon—a state that has legalized the drug for recreational use—to help her deal with the death of her biological mother. Because of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibition on cannabis, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency suspended her for 30 days.
According to Sports Star, she flopped out of the U.S. trials, ruining plans to restart her career at the 2022 World Championships. But in 2023, Richardson returned to form with a stunning victory in the 100 meters at the World Championships in Budapest, setting a championship record with a time of 10.65 seconds.
Richardson’s success on the field is a testament to her resilience. Despite experiencing challenges in her career, she never gave up on her desire to be at the top.
“I almost have to remind myself, ‘Hey, you are that girl. You have done this before!’ As well as, ‘I’m not back, I’m better,'” she told the Nike Women Zine. “Meaning, yes, I may have been younger, immature, but I feel like I’m now better. My talent has always been what it was, if not better. I’m still the same girl, but l’m a better woman. ‘I’m not back, l’m better’ just sinks into my head on race day.”
Today, she has built a decent net worth. She has a net worth ranging from $1 million to $5 million, according to estimations by Essentially Sports. A part of it is from her partnership with Nike. She reportedly has a $20 million, five-year deal with Nike and became the face of the Nike x Jacquemus Spring 2024 collection, a collaboration with French fashion designer Simon Porte Jacquemus.
