"In 200m dash, I literally was blowing out girls by 75m" - When Sha'Carri Richardson recalled how she became a 100m specialist

Two-time Olympic medalist Sha'Carri Richardson once revealed that she considered specializing exclusively in the 200m discipline as she was extremely dominant in the distance. However, she later realized that she had potential in the 100m discipline as well.

Richardson recently participated in her maiden Olympic Games in Paris after missing out in Tokyo due to a positive marijuana test. This time around, being the reigning World Champion, the 24-year-old was a favorite for the 100m title. However, she had to settle for a silver with a time of 10.87 seconds after St. Lucia's Julien Alfred took home the gold with a 10.72-second finish.

Nonetheless, the Dallas native redeemed herself in the women's 4x100m relay event, where she was given the responsibility to run the anchor leg. The American team won the gold with a time of 41.78 seconds, while Richardson secured the first Olympic gold of her track running career.

Sha'Carri Richardson could not secure her spot in the 200m event, a domain she dominated during her middle school days. In a video released by 'The New Yorker' on their YouTube channel in March 2022, Richardson revealed that she was only running 200m races until middle school, and it was only in high school that she started competing in the 100m.

"I think it was probably in middle school when I realized I would actually run a 200, I didn't necessarily run the 100. I didn't start running the 100 until I got into high school and the 200, I literally was blowing out girls like by 75 meters, a 100 meters, literally like blowing them out. I was like maybe this is for me," she said [5:50 onwards].

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"I feel most confident on the track when I’m the most nervous" - Sha'Carri Richardson reflects on her mindset during races

Sha'Carri Richardson pictured at the 2024 Paris Olympics | Image Source: Getty

During an interview with 'She Knows' in June 2024, Sha'Carri Richardson said that she feels the most herself when she is nervous about a race and emphasized her firm belief in her training and hard work.

"Honestly, I feel most confident on the track when I’m the most nervous. That may be backward, but I feel confident in relying on the training I’ve been doing and the way I’ve prepared myself day-by-day," she said.

"But remember, an “average day” is anything but average, Richardson starts early with “four to five hours” of training," she added.

Richardson concluded her 2024 season at the Diamond League finals held in Brussels on Saturday, September 14.