Everything you need to know about Sha'Carri Richardson

Sha'Carri Richardson was in the headlines once again, but this time, the reasons were good. It was neither for facing a ban nor for missing out on trials. This time, it was all about the completion of the redemption arc.

She made history this past Monday by completing the 100-meter race in 10.65 seconds at the World Championships in Budapest. She not only cemented her status as the fastest woman but also managed to upset the favorites Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

The most flamboyant yet controversial athlete at the moment, Richardson's talent was always perceptible. Nobody had doubts about what she could achieve.

Though the expectations were always there, this run felt like a comeback. Even she would have felt it as she celebrated even before crossing the finish line.

After the race, every single media outlet wanted a piece of her, but she wasn't the same person that she was two years ago. She didn't care much about the media and what people would think of her.

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From being a prodigy to the ban

Every athlete has a story, and everyone's path is different. Sha'Carri Richardson might be young, but she has already seen several highs and lows both on and off the field.

When her mother abandoned Richardson, her grandmother took her in. The abandonment pushed her into a dark place. She was not even a teen by then. The sport of racing came to her rescue.

She discovered the sport when she was nine, thanks to her aunt Shayaria Richardson. Shayaria was also her first trainer. The sport soon became her therapy, a place she could let her out, a place which she knew was her home.

Ten years later, Sha'Carri Richardson won almost every single race she participated in. She was the AAU Junior Olympics Champion at 16. A USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Champion at 17.

A few more medals later, she made it to the national team. In 2018, she was the fastest in the 60-meter dash in the country at that time.

At 21, she became a global celebrity when she won the 2021 Olympic trials with 10.86 seconds. While people of her age were still figuring out life, Richardson was signing autographs.

People have different ways of dealing with grief and death. Some turn them into positive force, while some suffer from downfall.

Richardson's life took a different turn when she smoked marijuana to cope with her mother's demise. It was her way of dealing with mental health, but that forced her to sit out of the Olympics.

She was handed a doping ban and was left down and out. The runner made a few posts on social media that she would regret now. A fight with fellow athletes and fans, liking a racist tweet, you name it.

This might not have hurt her more than finishing last at the Prefontaine Classic a month from the ban. The sport, which used to be her outlet for everything, was not helping her out when she needed it the most. She went from an impressive 100m finish with 10.71 seconds earlier that year to a forgettable 11.14 seconds finish at the Classic.

Staying away from the spotlight might have helped the 23-year-old. Either way, she is not the same athlete anymore. Those long eyelashes and the extensive piercings are all gone, but not her fire to win races. She has only matured now. Instead of fighting, she is using criticism to fuel that fire.

Her path to Paris is all set now, but Sha'Carri Richardson is taking one step at a time. As she said, after winning the Championships, she is back, better, and only going to get even more so.