When Richardson tested positive for marijuana, her chances of competing in the Tokyo Olympics were dashed. She won the 100-meter global title on Monday night, establishing her as a medal contender in Paris in 2024.
The 23-year-old ran the track in 10.65 seconds, a personal best, at the National Athletics Centre at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, two Jamaican sprinters who finished second and third, were taken aback by Richardson’s triumph.
Following the competition, she told reporters, “I’m honored, I’m blessed, I had great competition, which brought out the best in me, and I’m just honored to leave with a gold medal.”
Richardson
She informed him, “I’m going to stay humble.” “I haven’t returned, but I’m better, and I’ll keep getting better.”
Since Tori Bowie’s victory in 2017, her victory was the first time “an American woman has won the 100-meter” world championship.
It was significant that Richardson qualified for the 100-meter final as well because she finished third in her semifinal heat and was thus denied one of the two automatic tickets to compete for the championship.
Richardson stepped out of the blocks slowly and lost time by taking a few feet to the right in her initial steps. However, she ran a strong finish, posting the fastest time among all competitors outside of the top two with a 10.84 in the semifinals. She advanced to the final because of this.
She was more than capable of racing 10.65, and her coach Renaldo Nehemiah, a former elite sprinter and hurdler, claimed as much. We simply understood that acting on the biggest platform in the world is much more difficult than merely stating it.
Mon night brought a significant turn of fortune for Richardson. He failed to get past the 100-meter heats at the U.S. Track and Field Championships the previous year.
“I’m just so proud of her,” Nehemiah added, “because a year ago we were light years away from having everything we needed to compete at this level, and she’s worked hard.”
In Eugene, Oregon, in 2021, Richardson “won the women’s 100-meter race at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field” Trials. Her entry to the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games seems to be covered by this.
She had THC, a substance present in marijuana, therefore she was grounded and unable to travel to Tokyo.
The athlete admitted guilt for her actions and claimed she turned to drugs to cope with the stress of her mother’s sudden passing.
Because she won the U.S. 100-meter gold last month, she was already considered a favorite to compete in the Paris Olympics before her victory on Monday.
According to Richardson, she believes that her time spent competing will encourage viewers to view athletes as more than simply their performance.
It was wonderful to know that I am viewed as more than just an athlete, she remarked. “I want people to realize that there is more to life than just being an athlete. You embody who you are on the track by allowing your gift to permeate every aspect of your being.