Nine months after stunning the field at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Sha’Carri Richardson made a major statement in her first 100-meter race of the season.
After a blazing start, Richardson pulled away from the field to win the women’s 100 meters in 10.83 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. Julien Alfred of St. Lucia finished second in 10.93, and Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain placed third in 10.98.
The race was billed as a head-to-head showdown between Richardson, 24, and Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica. But after a lackluster start, the five-time Olympic champion faded to ninth in 11.30. The 31-year-old was a late entry to the field in her season debut. Last year, the second-fastest 100-meter runner of all time struggled with injuries throughout the season and is working on returning to form.
For Richardson, Prefontaine marked a highly anticipated return to her signature event after two rust-buster 200-meter races at Diamond League events in China. On April 20, she finished second in 22.99 at the Diamond League meet in Xiamen. A week later, she finished third in 23.11 at the meet in Suzhou.
Richardson said she felt nervous going into the race. “I would not be human to say that I wasn’t nervous, but as my coach say, used that nervousness as motivation,” she said afterwards.
Last summer, Richardson won world championship gold in 10.65, No. 5 all-time, in Budapest. This summer, she’ll aim to defend her title at the Paris Games. The first round of the women’s 100 meters starts on August 2.
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
