36 years ago, in 1988, Florence Griffith Joyner set the track ablaze, establishing world records in the 100m and 200m that remain unbroken. Rocking her standout one-legged leotards, long nails, and flowing hair, Flo-Jo turned the track into her runway, capturing hearts and becoming an icon ahead of her time. Fast forward to today: Sha’Carri Richardson, often compared to the late legend, brings that same fierce style and blazing speed.

Even 26 years after Flo-Jo’s passing, her records still stand strong, with only a few ever coming close. But at just 24, the reigning queen of the 100m has achieved something even Flo-Jo didn’t.

On May 5, 2023, at the prestigious Doha Diamond League, Sha’Carri Richardson blazed through the 100m race in 10.76 seconds, making her the fastest woman in the world for 2023. Later that year, she also broke this record and ran the 100m in 10.65 seconds in Budapest, Hungary, at the 2023 World Championships. That was when track and field enthusiasts pointed out something quite remarkable.

Sha’Carri Richardson became the only U.S. woman to break the 10.80-second barrier since 2017, and she achieved the feat 5 times with the Doha Diamond League win. This made Sha’Carri’s record the second-most in U.S. history, just behind Marion Jones’ 13 non-stripped times. It also made her the second woman in history from any nation to break 10.80 seconds on 5 occasions before turning 24, only behind Jones. When comparing their top 10 fastest times, Flo-Jo, on the other hand, broke the 10.80-second barrier 4 times.

Since that momentous outing in Doha last year, Richardson has breached the 10.80-second barrier 5 more times, including the 10.65-second dash at the World Championships, where she became the world champion. This means the 24-year-old is just 3 more sub-10.80s away from equaling Marion Jones’ record and just 4 away from becoming the U.S. leader in women’s athletics. On that note, here are the five most recent times that Sha’Carri Richardson either matched or breached the barrier.

Let’s compare her times to Florence Griffith Joyner’s personal bests below this mark.

That said, the competition to break Flo-Jo’s 36-year-old records is amping up with the Paris Olympics getting ever closer. In fact, Gabby Thomas – who specializes in the 200m – even said that the legend’s records have “got to go.” When asked who could possibly surpass Flo-Jo’s 21.34-second time, she replied, “Shericka Jackson, Elaine Thompson-Herah, me, Sha’Carri Richardson, and if Christine Mboma comes back, it’s going to be a very intense and historic race. But we’re all pushing each other to that level which is really special.”

Other blazing feats by Sha’Carri Richardson

As mentioned earlier, Sha’Carri Richardson is also the first to break 10.80 seconds on 5 occasions before turning 24. Just three months after her feat at the Doha Diamond League, she made history again by winning the women’s 100 meters at the 2023 Track and Field World Championships in Budapest on August 21, 2023, with a time of 10.65 seconds—an event record and the fifth fastest run of all time.

What made this even more impressive was her age; at just 23, she became the second-youngest sprinter ever to break the sub-10.70 barrier in the 100 meters, a milestone Flo-Jo reached at 28. Richardson first grabbed the spotlight in 2019 as a freshman at LSU, where she ran 10.75 seconds to break the 100-meter collegiate record at the NCAA Division I Championships. This incredible time made her one of the ten fastest women in history at just 19 years old.

Her 2024 season is off to a blazing start, showcasing her dominance by clinching gold at the Prefontaine Classic. With the Paris 2024 Olympics approaching, all eyes will be on Sha’Carri Richardson as she aims to continue her record-breaking streak and bring home Olympic gold. However, does she stand a chance of surpassing Flo-Jo’s world records? Share your thoughts in the comments below!