What does Shericka Jackson's withdrawal from 100m mean for Sha'Carri Richardson at Paris Olympics? Exploring American's chances of gold

Sha'Carri Richardson’s chances of winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 have received a massive boost following Shericka Jackson's withdrawal from the 100m dash. The Jamaican was Richardson’s biggest threat, but with Jackson out, the American is now an overwhelming favorite.

Richardson and Jackson faced each other multiple times over the years, and while the head-to-head record is slightly in favor of the Jamaican, the 200m world champion has won five out of times nine times against the American over the 100m dash.

Despite a relatively slow start to her season, Jackson is the fifth fastest woman in the 100m in 2024 with a time of 10.84s. Although Richardson has been faster and leads the world with 10.71s, the Jamaican has a similar personal best as that of the world champion. If she was competing, she could have beaten Richardson easily for the 100m gold.

Shericka Jackson had suffered a cramp earlier this month and claimed that she was withdrawing from the 100m as a precautionary measure and would focus only on the 200m. With the Jamaican out, Sha'Carri Richardson has only two tough competitors to take care of in the finals: Julian Alfred and Tia Clayton.

Alfred has shown the capability to run closer to 10.71 and Clayton also boats at a similar speed but is coming back from an injury. Nonetheless, none of the two sprinters are of the same caliber as Jackson, and it should be easier for the world champion to win the Olympic title.

Which events is Sha'Carri Richardson competing in at the Paris Olympics 2024 and what is her schedule?

World Athletics Championships. Budapest 2023. - Source: Getty

Sha'Carri Richardson only qualified in the 100m for the Paris Olympics 2024 and will additionally run in the 4x100m relay. She finished fourth in the 200m dash at the U.S. Olympic Trials, failing to qualify for the three-member team.

Richardson will be first seen in action on August 2 during the 100m heats. The semifinals and finals of the women's 100m will be taking place on 3rd August, and the American is a favorite to qualify for both events.

The first round of the women’s 4x100m relay will take place on August 8 with the finals scheduled for a day later. Although the USA women’s relay team hasn't been announced yet, Sha'Carri Richardson is highly expected to be part of the team and was also spotted during the relay practice last week.