Welcome to the Olympics, Shacarie Richardson.
The 24-year-old U.S. sprinter outshone her rivals in her Olympic debut in the women’s 100 meters on Friday.
Richardson, the favorite to win the Olympic gold medal in the event, finished in 10.94 seconds on the new purple track at the Stade de France.
Luxembourg’s Patrizia van der Weken came second in 11.14 seconds.
Richardson clocked 10.71 seconds at the U.S. qualifying rounds last month to become the reigning world champion in the event.
2024 Paris Olympics
Richardson qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Games by recording the fastest time in the women’s 100 meters at the U.S. Trials but was unable to travel to Japan, meaning she was making her long-awaited Olympic debut.
She was suspended after testing positive for THC (cannabis), a substance banned under World Anti-Doping Agency rules.
