16 facts about bisexual Olympic gold medalist Sha’Carri Richardson
Here are 16 facts you might not know about Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist Sha’Carri Richardson.
She was born in Texas
Sha’Carri Richardson was born in Dallas, Texas. She had no relationship with her biological parents and studied at David W Carter High School where she won state titles in the 100m and 200m.
She was raised by her aunt and grandmother
Having no relationship with her biological parents, Richardson was raised by her grandmother, Betty Harp, who she calls as a “foundation”, and an aunt.
She was fast enough for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics but didn’t compete
While Richardson qualified to compete at the Olympics three years ago, she didn’t didn’t race after failing a drug test for marijuana at the US trials.
She picks her hair colour based on her mood
Speaking to the Orange County Register about her hair in 2021, Richardson said she chooses the colour based on her mood, saying that her “girlfriend picked this colour because it’s loud and, honestly, dangerous”.
She is one of fastest women in history
Richardson’s 100m official personal best is 10.65secs which she set at last year’s World Championships. She has clocked 10.57 but the time was discounted because of an assisting tailwind.
She’s a noughties girl
Richardson was born shortly after the start of the new millennium on 25 March 2000, making her 24 years old.
She identifies as bisexual
Richardson is bisexual and has opened up about recovering from an abusive relationship.
She studied in Louisiana
Richardson enrolled at Louisiana State University in 2018 and quickly became one of its best track stars. While running for the LSU Lady Tigers, she recorded the second-best female-one-day double at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
She is sponsored by Nike
You’ll spot the sprinter wearing Nike clothes and shoes for good reason. She has been sponsored by the athletic brand for several years, most recently sporting gear from their 2024 spring collection.
Her vibrant style is inspired by Florence Griffith Joyner
On a number of occasions, Richardson has dedicated her vibrant and unique style to Florence Griffith Joyner – a track athlete who was prominent in the 1980s – saying she has “an influence from the greatest of them all: Flo-Jo.”
She has a track named after her
A track at the John Kincaide Stadium in South Dallas was renamed as the Sha’Carri Richardson Track, following a unanimous vote by the Dallas independent school district board of trustees last October.
10 November is Sha’Carri Richardson Day
Yep, that’s right. In Dallas, 10 November is heralded as Sha’Carri Richardson day, following a commemoration in 2023.
She is 5ft 2in tall
Richardson reaches around 157cm, according to the details on her Paris 2024 Olympics page, that’s just about 5ft 2in.
She was disqualified in the wake of her mother’s death
Richardson admitted to smoking marijuana after testing positive at the US trials for the Tokyo Olympics. She said she used the drug as a coping mechanism after finding out her biological mother had died.
She won the 100m title at the AAU Junior Olympics as a teenager
It seems that Richardson was destined for Olympic greatness, having won the 100m in 2016 and 2017 at the AAU Junior Olympics.
She gave a shout-out to the LGBTQ+ community after her 2021 win
Following her 100m run which secured her a spot at the Tokyo Olympics – before the drug test –Richardson gave a simple shout-out to the LGBTQ+ community by sharing a rainbow emoji on Twitter.
