Sha’Carri Richardson claimed a big international victory when she won the Diamond League season opener in Doha on Friday.
Richardson won the 100-meters in a time of 10.76 seconds, the fastest time in the world this year. Shericka Jackson and Dina Asher-Smith, the last two World 200-meter champions, took second and third place, respectively.
“I’m so blessed and thankful, I feel at peace,” Richardson said, according to the Diamond League. “I had to be kicked out from another 100-meter race, so I had to do my best no matter what.”
Richardson also defeated many top Americans, including Melissa Jefferson and Teetee Terry, who won the 2022 World 4x100m relay title for the U.S. Richardson is the only U.S. woman to break 10.80 since 2017—in fact, she has now done it five times.
Richardson’s prospects are looking good for the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in July; the top three finishers in the 100-meter race will have a shot at qualifying for the world championships in August, plus additional spots for the relay.
Richardson had significant momentum entering Doha, having run the fourth-fastest 100 meters (10.57) ever under all conditions on April 8. Her wind-legal personal best is 10.72 from 2021.
“Y’all say I’m back,” Richardson said in a video posted to Instagram before Doha. “I’m not back. I'm better.”
The next Diamond League meet will be held in Rabat, Morocco, on May 28.
Laura Ratliff is a New York City-based writer, editor, and runner. Laura's writing expertise spans numerous topics, ranging from travel and food and drink to reported pieces covering political and human rights issues. She has previously worked at Architectural Digest, Bloomberg News, and Condé Nast Traveler and was most recently the senior editorial director at TripSavvy. Like many of us, Laura was bitten by the running bug later in life, after years of claiming to "hate running." Her favorite marathon is Big Sur.
