Sha’Carri Richardson’s OIympic debut got off to a good start on Friday at a jam-packed Stade de France. The dynamic sprinter bolted from the blocks and seized control of the race before breezing past the finish line in first place, clocking 10.94 seconds in her first Olympics competition.
Richardson will run again on Saturday in the semifinals as she looks to move one step closer to earning her first-ever Olympic medal. She enters the Paris Games after a dominant run in 2023, a year in which she captured two world titles (100 meters, 4x100 relay) at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary as well a bronze medal in the 200 meters.
As the 24-year-old continues her ascension on the grand stage, none of it would be possible without her starting her track and field career in Dallas, Texas. Here’s what to know about Richardson’s upbringing, and her journey from the Lone Star State to becoming a world superstar on the track and one of the fastest women in the world.
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Sha’Carri Richardson hometown
Richardson is from Dallas, Texas. She was raised by her grandmother, Betty Harp, and her aunt. Her biological mother died a week before she competed in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials in Eugene, Oregon.
Sha’Carri Richardson high school
The bolting sprinter attended Carter High School, where she was an eight-time Class 4A state champion in Texas. She won three Texas state titles and was the No. 1 sprinter in the 2018 recruiting class. She also participated in the 2016 AAU Junior Olympics, 2017 USATF Junior Olympics, capturing 100 meter titles at both events before making her international debut at the Pan American U20 Athletics Championships in 2017.
The Dallas Independent School District, where Richardson attended elementary to high school, changed the name from the track—Jesse Owens Athletic Complex's John Kincade Stadium—to Sha’Carri Richardson Track. The track is a mile away from CHS.
Did Sha’Carri Richardson go to college?
After a thrilling high school career, Richardson took her talents to LSU, where she quickly made her presence felt on the Lady Tigers’ track and field team. In one year at LSU, Richardson notched three SEC titles, registered four All-American honors and one NCAA title in the 100 meters. After her lone season in Baton Rouge, she elected to hit the pro track and field circuit. The Nike sponsored athlete is trained by former U.S. Olympian sprinter Dennis Mitchell.
Sha’Carri Richardson’s college stats and records
Richardson became one of the most prolific runners at LSU and in SEC history, despite competing in only one season. She won the 2019 Bowerman Award, SEC Freshman Track Athlete of the Year, earned first team All-SEC outdoor as well as first team All-American outdoor.
She also became the first freshman in SEC history to win the 100 meters, 200 meters and compete on the winning 4x100 relay team. By the time she decided to go pro, she held records in multiple categories:
LSU school records (top 10)
No. 1 (100 Meters) – 10.75s
No. 2 (200 Meters) – 22.17s
No. 3 (4x100 Relay) – 42.29s
No. 9 (60 Meters) – 7.20s
NCAA records – 10.75 seconds
No. 9 (100 meters) (world history)
U20 (100 meters) world record
No. 5 (100 meters) in the United States
U20 (200 meters) world record (22.17s)
No. 5 time in NCAA history
