Sha’Carri Richardson won the 100 meters at this weekend’s Miramar Invitational in a blazing hot start to her 2023 season. Richardson crossed the finish line in 10.57 seconds to beat the field and earn the fourth-fastest time in the history of the 100-meter event (in all wind conditions).
Richardson took an early lead in the short race, passing two of the top three finishers at last year’s U.S. Championships, TeeTee Terry and Melissa Jefferson. Terry finished in 10.83 seconds, and no other woman broke 11. Richardson tasted early victory, lifting her arms into the air as she covered the last few meters.
Because the race occurred with a 4.1-meter-per-second tailwind, Richardson’s time is ineligible for any official world records. Anything greater than two meters-per-second is deemed to be aided by the wind.
Last weekend, she also ran her first race of the season: the 4x100-meter relay at the Texas Relays. Her team finished second.
At only 23 years old, Richardson’s running career has already faced countless challenges. In 2021, her 100-meter win at the U.S. Olympic Trials was negated after she failed a drug test. The runner admitted that she’d been using marijuana to care for her mental health as she grieved the death of her biological mother. She would miss the Tokyo Olympics as a part of her suspension.
In 2022, Richardson failed to make the finals of the 100 meters and 200 meters at the USATF Outdoor Championships, eliminating her chances of competing at the World Athletics Championships. However, this weekend’s strong start to the 2023 season bodes well for the sprinter.
The Miramar Invitational also featured other exciting races, including Christian Coleman—the world record holder in the indoor 60 meters—defeating Letsile Tebogo of Botswana by three thousandths of a second to win the 200 meters. Meanwhile, defending U.S. champion Abby Steiner took the women’s 200 in 22.23 seconds, teeing up another momentous season for the U.S. indoor record holder in the 200 and 300 meters.
Watch Sha’Carri Richardson best the 100-meter field here.
Kells McPhillips is a health and wellness journalist living in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in Runner's World, The New York Times, Well+Good, Fortune, Shape, and others.
