Sha'Carri Richardson

Richardson was raised in Dallas by her grandmother, Betty Harp, and an aunt. She attended David W. Carter High School, where she won Texas state titles in the 100 meters and 200 meters and became one of the leading sprinters in the Class of 2018.

As a teenager, Richardson won the 100-meter title at the 2016 AAU Junior Olympics and another junior title in 2017. She made her international debut at the 2017 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships, winning gold in the 4 × 100-meter relay with Gabriele Cunningham, Rebekah Smith and Tara Davis.

Richardson enrolled at Louisiana State University in 2018. At the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships, she won the 100 meters in 10.75 seconds, breaking the collegiate record and the 42-year-old world under-20 record held by Marlies Göhr. Her 22.17-second runner-up finish in the 200 meters also surpassed Allyson Felix's previous world under-20 mark for the event. She left LSU after her freshman season to turn professional and later received The Bowerman as the outstanding NCAA track-and-field athlete of 2019.

Richardson won the 100 meters at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials in 10.86 seconds, qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, which had been postponed from 2020. A drug test found THC metabolites, and she accepted a one-month suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Her trials result was disqualified, preventing her from competing in the Olympic 100 meters, and she was not selected for the relay team.

Richardson said she had used marijuana while coping with the recent death of her biological mother. The suspension prompted criticism from cannabis-reform advocates, members of Congress and other public figures, while Nike announced that it would continue sponsoring her. She returned at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic and finished ninth in 11.14 seconds.

Her 2022 season included a 200-meter victory at the New York Grand Prix, but she failed to reach the finals of the 100 meters and 200 meters at the U.S. championships and did not qualify for the world championships. The difficult season preceded her return to the top level in 2023.

Richardson opened her 2023 campaign with a 10.57-second 100 meters at the Miramar Invitational, although the performance was aided by an illegal 4.1 meters-per-second tailwind. She won her first Diamond League race in Doha in 10.76 seconds and then captured the 100-meter title at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 10.82 seconds.

At the World Championships in Budapest, Richardson won the 100 meters in 10.65 seconds, a championship record. She defeated Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to claim her first major individual international title. She also won bronze in the 200 meters in a personal-best 21.92 seconds.

Richardson anchored the United States to gold in the women's 4 × 100-meter relay. Her 9.65-second anchor split was the fastest recorded in history, and the American team set a championship record of 41.03 seconds.

Richardson won the 100 meters at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic in 10.83 seconds. At the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, she defended her national title by running 10.71 seconds, securing her place in the 100 meters at the Paris Olympics. She finished fourth in the trials' 200-meter final and did not qualify for that event in Paris.

In the Olympic 100-meter final, Richardson won the silver medal behind Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia. She then ran the anchor leg for the United States in the 4 × 100-meter relay. After a difficult baton exchange with Gabrielle Thomas, Richardson moved the team from third place to first and won her first Olympic gold medal.

Richardson is recognized for vibrant hair colors, wigs, long painted nails, false eyelashes and tattoos. Her track style has been linked to her admiration for Florence Griffith-Joyner, and her appearance has become part of her public identity as an athlete.

She has also attracted attention for her confidence, emotional celebrations and outspoken personality. Her openness with fans and response to the setback surrounding her 2021 suspension contributed to her reputation as a prominent figure in modern track and field.

Richardson was raised by Betty Harp and her aunt rather than by her biological parents. Her biological mother died in 2021, shortly before Richardson's Olympic Trials race. Richardson later connected the loss to her marijuana use and the suspension that kept her out of the Tokyo Olympics.

Richardson is bisexual and publicly acknowledged the LGBTQ community after winning her Olympic Trials race in 2021. She also publicly thanked a woman she was dating after making the Olympic team. In 2025, her relationship with fellow sprinter Christian Coleman was publicly confirmed.

In July 2025, Richardson was arrested at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after an incident involving Christian Coleman. The case involved an accusation of fourth-degree domestic-violence assault, and Coleman declined to press charges. Richardson later apologized to Coleman and said she would seek help.

In January 2026, Richardson was arrested in Orange County, Florida, and accused of dangerous excessive speeding after police recorded her driving at 104 miles per hour in a 65-mile-per-hour zone. Coleman was also arrested in connection with drug paraphernalia found in his car and resisting arrest.