Sha’Carri Richardson easily won her heat at the US Olympic Trials, making her the second-fastest women’s 200-metre runner in the world this season.
Her victory in the 100 metres last week guaranteed her a spot on the US Olympic team for the upcoming Paris Games. More so, her winning time of 21.99 seconds solidified her position as the clear favourite to win at the prestigious competition. She came within only 0.07 seconds of her personal best time at the global championships the previous year. Now, she is expected to compete in the first semi-final at Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon, in an attempt to qualify for the final round.
With her success, the athlete admitted: “Any time I touch the track, there’s an opportunity for me to work on being my best self.”
On making history despite setbacks
Richardson won the women’s 100-metre race at the Olympic trials three years ago, but she was not allowed to compete in Tokyo after testing positive for the psychoactive ingredient THC in marijuana. Now, as she makes her way into this year’s Olympics, the 24-year-old set a new record for the fastest 100-metre time in the world this year, clocking in at 10.71 seconds.
“My coach’s biggest thing is execution… I’m really just focusing on executing the curve to make the straightaway much, much easier. I feel like today … I did that great, actually, but I know I have room for improvement,” Richardson said.
In other related news, Noah Lyles, another athlete who had previously secured a spot on the team, easily won his 200-metre heat in 20.10 seconds, which was faster than Erriyon Knighton’s time of 20.15.
Since winning the 200-metre event at the Tokyo Olympics, Lyles has not lost a race. After winning the 100-metre event at the trials, he may be the best male sprinter in the world at the moment.
Souce: CNN