Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Sha'Carri Richardson clocks fastest time of year to qualify as US champion
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ByOli Gent
Published 23/06/2024 at 09:41 GMT
Reigning world champion Sha'Carri Richardson clocked the fastest 100m time of the year to clinch her place at this summer's Paris Olympic Games. The American posted a time of 10.71 seconds at the US track trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. She beat her training partner and 2022 US champion Melissa Jefferson by .09 of a second, while Twanisha Terry completed the podium.
‘Believe in yourself’ – Richardson’s advice after securing place at Paris
Sha’Carri Richardson recorded the fastest 100m time this year as she booked her place at Paris 2024.
The American clocked 10.71 seconds at the final of the US track trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, beating her training partner Melissa Jefferson, the former US champion, by .09 of a second.
Twanisha Terry finished third to take the final Olympic spot.
World champion Richardson is the favourite to take home the gold medal in the French capital, although she will be pushed to the limits by the Jamaicans, who could well include three-time champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce making her final bow at the Games.
“I feel honoured,” Richardson said. “I feel every chapter I’ve been through in my life prepared me for this moment.
"The message I would say now is believe in yourself, no matter what outside noise is going on, remain solid in yourself. Not just yourself, your faith. Those are two things that will never change, as long as you don't change. Stay grounded in yourself and as well as your hard work every day that you go out."
Lyles stars in men's qualifying
On the men’s side, Noah Lyles, the current world champion, clocked 9.92 in his preliminary heat, which was the quickest across the opening round of men’s qualifying.
"I got the 10 metres just like I wanted,” the 26-year-old Floridian said.
“I was open, I was fluid, everything that me and my coach have been working on has been coming together right now, and I'm extremely excited to see that, because once I got to the 60, I was like, okay, this race is mine. I don't need to push anymore. Let's just finish it out."
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Christian Coleman was the only other 100m sprinter to go under 10 seconds.
Elsewhere, Ryan Crouser, the two-time Olympic shot put champion, won the men’s event and threw a fourth attempt of 22.84m to beat the world champion Joe Kovacs, who threw 22.43m.
Crouser, who was making his season debut following an elbow injury and a torn pectoral muscle, is looking to become the first three-time Olympic men’s shot put champion in Paris this summer.
"I feel like out of the back, I was pretty solid today,” Crouser said.
“It brings in a little more energy. I just have that turnover, that speed at the finish. So if I can have that cute European setup along with the classic American smash finish on the shot, I should be throwing pretty far right."
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