Oh Captain, my captain. These words are solemnly apt for Sha’Carri Richardson. She was also touted as the fastest woman of 2023. The title was stripped from her once before, when she was disqualified after a failed drug test. In 2021, Richardson’s spectacular performance at the Olympic trials made her a highly anticipated addition to the US team. But her dreams were deferred because of the said drug test farrago. The impact was heartbreaking. Richardson withdrew from the scene for a while and struggled to rekindle her love for the sport.

But Richardson has risen as a phoenix from the ashes. After last year’s fantastic performance during the Worlds, she has her gaze firmly set upon the elite stage of the Olympics. This will be her first Olympic cycle if she succeeds in the trials. To do right this time, Sha’Carri Richardson is learning from her follies, letting bygones be bygones and moving forward with renewed focus.

Sha’Carri Richardson is burying the hatchet and plotting greener frontiers

Recently in an interview with The Spun, Sha’Carri Richardson opened up about how she is not getting bogged down by past scandals. When asked what she is looking ahead to this summer and her mentality going into the Olympics, she said, “I would definitely say just in general going into the games, my mindset is still the same with how I approach any track meet. I feel like every single time I step on the track, it’s to be my best self. I have an appreciate of being on the track and being able to do what I do.” She added that she is excited, “Going into the games, the pressure is honestly motivation. It’s an appreciation that I do have a lot of support and a lot of belief around me.” She said the ability she is blessed with has been “a beacon of hope.”

Richardson continues to apply that every single day in practice. Concluding with the statement, “This way when it’s actually time to go into the games after making the team first, I continue to know that this is something that I do every single day and just allow that confidence to show in what I do.” Richardson’s last Olympics did not work out so she’s trying to make this year count. Before the 2020 games, Richardson was disqualified because THC was found in her system, which led to a failed drug test during the Trials. Her suspension of one month meant she was out of the Olympic race. She later owned up to it and explained she was under emotional duress because her mother had just passed away.

In last year’s World Championships, however, Richardson was awarded the title of “world’s fastest woman.” She definitely made a fantastic comeback. About Paris, she said, “I ain’t going nowhere, I’m locked in, I’m working… I have no plans of letting life, adversity, or any obstacle stop me from being in Paris.” Richardson said she has a five-day training week, like a 9-to-5 job. She has been meticulous in her lead-up to the Olympics, trying to make “every little detail count.” The other two days are for rest and strategizing. Given her packed schedule, she has no time for haters and naysayers. 

Sha’Carri Richardson is laser focused for glorious times ahead

After her disqualification, Sha’Carri Richardson took two years to get her head back in the game. However, she faced a lot of backlash. Especially from fans around the world who felt betrayed. She even got support from USADA CEO Travis Tygart, who noted a UFC rule that doesn’t penalize marijuana use as long as it isn’t used to enhance performance. Sha’Carri herself initially questioned how figure skater Kamila Valieva was allowed to compete in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, despite testing positive for trimetazidine while Richardson herself was banned. Sha’Carri has since begun to move on. She said, “This is just one game. I’m 21. I’m very young. I have plenty of games left in me to compete in, and I have plenty of talent that backs me up.” She vowed to return and become victorious. 

She made good on that promise when at the 2023 US championships, she won the 100m title. Sha’Carri said she is finally, “ready, mentally, physically and emotionally” She also thanked her aunt Shay and grandmother, Betsy Harp, who helped her stay focused after the Trials when she lost joy in the sport. Even USA track and field rallied behind her, saying it was “incredibly unfortunate and devastating for everyone involved.” They made sure she would have the resources to overcome any mental health challenges. She stated in an interview that she’s surrounded herself with supportive family and friends and ignores criticism. This year, fans are eagerly waiting for her to blaze through the purple tracks of Paris come July.