Rising US star brings baggage and a back story as she takes on Dina Asher-Smith over 100m this Sunday
Sha’Carri Richardson is the most exciting, compelling, and intriguing sprinter since Usain Bolt. The world just doesn’t know it yet. It’s not only that the 21-year-old has sonic boom speed – last month in Florida she ran 100m in 10.72 sec, the sixth quickest time in history – and mesmerising acceleration. It’s everything else, too. The look. The backstory. The attitude. And, yes, the baggage – although more of that later.
It is 25 years since an American woman won Olympic 100m gold. But while Richardson has not raced at world level, she is a below-the-radar favourite. It has been some journey. She was abandoned by her mother and tried to take her own life at high school. She has talked openly about her mental health struggles. It has made her many successes – including a string of college titles and junior world records – even more impressive.
