Sha'Carri Richardson names legendery American athlete who ignited her love for track and field

Sha'Carri Richardson is one of the best sprinters Team USA has seen in recent years. As the 25-year-old gears up to defend her 100m World Championships title later this year, she recently named the American athlete who ignited her love for track and field.

Richardson first rose to fame as a collegiate athlete competing for the LSU Tigers, as she broke multiple NCAA records. Since then, the sprinter has gone on to win two World Championships golds medals, an Olympic title, and the 100m Olympic silver medal.

Recently, Athlos, the first-of-its-kind women only track and field meet founded by Alexis Ohanian, asked fans to name the athlete that led to them falling in love with the sport. Responding to this, Sha'Carri Richardson named American legend Wilma Rudolph as the one who ignited her passion for track and field.

Via @itsshacarri on Instagram

Rudolph is widely considered to be one of the greatest sprinters of all-time. She overcame polio in her childhood and went on to win three Olympic gold medals at the 1960 Games, while setting world records in the 100m and 200m events.

Sha'Carri Richardson on being inspired by Wilma Rudolph and Florence Griffith-Joyner

Sha'Carri Richardson has previously spoken about drawing inspiration from both Wilma Rudolph and Florence Griffith-Joyner. In an interview with Nike, Richardson revealed that Rudolph was one of her first role models growing up, saying,

“I’m inspired whenever someone tells me I can’t do something. Growing up, when I noticed I was really good at track, one of my first role models was Wilma Rudolph. She was literally told from her childhood that she could never walk because of her polio, and she went on to become a champion.”

Outside from her sprinting prowess, Richardson is also known for her loud personality, and she often steps out on track in wigs, bold nails, and impeccable fashion. In the same interview, the 25-year-old revealed that she found inspiration in Florence Griffith-Joyner due to her fashion, saying,

“I want my style to separate myself from every other competitor at the starting line. My other big role model was Flo-Jo (Florence Griffith-Joyner), definitely. She looked different from the other runners every time she stepped onto the track. You knew she was gonna flow. I thought from an early age, if I’m going to do track, I wanna be at the top just like her.”

Sha'Carri Richardson opened her 2025 season at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix, where she finished fourth in the 100m. Up next, the American is expected to be in action at the Prefontaine Classic.