Sha’Carri Richardson takes silver in women’s 100m final at her first Olympics

Sha’Carri Richardson secured second place in the women’s 100-meter final at the Paris Olympics, earning a silver medal at her first-ever Games.

Richardson came in second place at 10.87 seconds. Her teammate, Melissa Jefferson, clinched bronze in 10.92 seconds. Julien Alfred of St. Lucia earned gold — her country’s first-ever medal — with a 10.72-second score, beating Richardson by just .15 seconds.

“I’m thinking of God, my dad, who didn’t get to see me,” Alfred said after securing the historic win. “He passed away in 2013. Dad, this is for you. I miss you. I did it for him, I did it for my coach and God.”

Richardson was a favorite for gold, having qualified for the competition with a winning 10.71-second run. The 24-year-old’s biggest challenger, Shericka Jackson of Jamaica, had also dropped out of the 100-meter event earlier this week to focus on the 200-meter dash instead.

Richardson, who specializes in the 100-meter dash, was vying to become the first American woman to clinch gold in the race since 1999. She is now set to compete again in the women’s 4×100-meter Relay race on August 8.

The Dallas, Texas sprinter was also a contender for the 200-meter race but did not advance past the US Olympic Trials after securing fourth place.

The Paris Olympics are Richardson’s first after the US Anti-Doping Agency barred her from the 2021 Tokyo Games due to a positive marijuana test. Richardson, who accepted a one-month suspension for the violation, was expected to win gold in Tokyo.

“I know what I did, I know what I’m supposed to do, what I’m allowed not to do, and I still made that decision,” Richardson said at the time.

“Don’t judge me, because I am human…I just happen to run a little faster,” she continued.