Where does Sha’Carri Richardson rank in the world? Everything to know about the 23-year-old’s standing in world athletics

American athlete Sha’Carri Richardson currently ranks 4th in the world in the women’s overall category. The 23-year-old recently climbed the world ranking after delivering impeccable performances in the 2023 season.

Besides her overall ranking, Richardson ranks 1st in the women’s 100m and 6th in the 200m category.

Sha’Carri Richardson made a strong comeback this year after facing a series of lows in 2021 and 2022. She began her professional career right after her first year at Louisiana State University in 2019. By the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she had also qualified for the women’s 100m race by clocking 10.86 seconds in the women’s 100m race.

Richardson at Day 7 - World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023

However, her Olympic participation was put to a halt after Richardson tested positive for THC metabolites in her urine sample. As a result, she received a one-month suspension and missed her career’s first Olympics. Later on, she revealed that she had taken drugs to cope with her biological mother’s death.

In 2022, Sha’Carri Richardson could not make it to the world championship as she could not qualify in the 100m and 200m races in the US National Championships.

Finally, the year 2023 saw the athlete’s rise when she won the women's 100m final at the Miramar Invitational. Richardson ran the fourth-fastest 100m. Moreover, she secured her career’s first-ever Diamond League victory in Doha.

Sha’Carri Richardson also made her grand entry at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. By clocking 10.82s, she qualified for the world championships.

In Budapest, the 23-year-old proved her athletic prowess by winning the 100m world title with a 10.65s record, leaving behind second-placed Shericka Jackson and third-placed Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Richardson also won the bronze medal in the women’s 200m race, clocking 21.92 seconds.

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Sha’Carri Richardson threw away her iconic orange wig at the 2023 US National Championships

Richardson at 2023 USATF Outdoor Championships

At her comeback performance at the 2023 US National Championships, Sha’Carri Richardson made headlines for her surprising gesture at the race track. Right before the 100m race began, the athlete threw off her orange wig and flaunted her original braided hair. With that hairstyle, she ran and won the race.

When asked about her intention behind performing such a gesture, she told the media:

“The reason why I decided to do the wig reveal… last time I was at the big stadium here, I had my orange hair. I wanted to show you guys that I’m still that girl, but I’m better. I’m still that girl, but I’m stronger. I’m still that girl, but I’m wiser.”