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Champion sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson made headlines on Friday not only for winning the 100m race but also for another eye-popping gesture. While standing on her mark at the track in the US Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Richardson bid goodbye to her iconic orange wig.
She took the wig off, and showed off her long braided hair. After winning the championship, the athlete explained that there was a special intention behind the act.
Richardson is an ace track and field sprinter who specializes in 100m and 200m races. The LSU star came into the limelight in 2019, after she broke the 100m collegiate record at the NCAA Division I Championships by running within a time-frame of 10.75 seconds. After that, her orange wig became a trademark of sorts for the 23-year-old.
On July 11, Sha’Carri Richardson was asked why she took off her orange wig by a host on social media. Replying to the highly-anticipated question, the athlete said that she wanted to tell the world that she was back with a hint of newness.
“I want to show you guys that I am still that girl, but I am better. I am still that girl, but I am stronger. I am still that girl, but I am wiser. So I had to shed old and present the new,” Sha’Carri Richardson said in the video.
The stadium cheered when the young athlete took off her wig. Moreover, in that 100m event, she became the national champion by finishing off within a time frame of 10.82 seconds, paving her way to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
Why was Sha’Carri Richardson suspended in 2021?
In 2020, the world fell in love with Sha’Carri Richardson’s confidence and talent. She earned the top spot in Team USA’s track and field team after winning the 100m race at the US Olympic track and field trials in 2021.
That opened the doors to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Everything was working out great until her marijuana drug test came back positive.
Richardson was removed from the Olympics after being found guilty of consuming marijuana. She explained that it was to cope with her biological mom’s death, but she was suspended for a month.
Now, the athlete is back with renewed energy. She will be appearing in the World Championship next month.
