Sha'Carri Richardson/Photo courtesy of CBS Sports
Sha’Carri Richardson is getting another chance to show the world her prowess. She is scheduled to race at the Prefontaine Classic and will race against some of the Olympians she would have faced in Tokyo.
Richardson took the country by storm when she sped through the Olympics trials earlier this year. Unfortunately, a post-race drug test revealed that the athlete, who was grieving her mother’s death at the time, had marijuana in her system. Despite social media and even notable politicians advocating for her, she was not allowed to compete in the Olympic Games.
In the meantime, Richardson was offered a lucrative deal by a vaping company and maintained an active social media presence.
However, she is coming back to the track. Sha’Carri Richardson will run the 100 meters and 200 meters at the Prefontaine Classic on Aug. 21, Sports Illustrated reported.
The meet is sponsored by Nike, who showed their support of Richardson during her suspension and is still her sponsor.
Many of her competitors at the race will be Olympians that she would have raced against in Tokyo, including the Jamaican team that swept the 100-meter sprint during the Games, which includes Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson in the Prefontaine Classic.
However, Richardson is confident. Back in July, she told event organizers that she is ready to do what she does best.
“I’m looking forward to running fast and putting on a show,” Richardson said.
Richardson is a 21-year-old track prodigy. In April, her gold-medal victory at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships made her the sixth-fastest woman of all time and the fourth-fastest American woman in history with that mark.
In 2016, while still a teen, she won a title for her 100-meter race at the AAU Junior Olympics. She repeated her performance the next year at the USA Track & Field Junior Championships.
Richardson definitely deserves this chance, and we cannot wait to witness her once again.