US Olympic Athlete Spotlight: Sha’Carri Richardson

2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field - Day 2

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If you are wondering how to listen to the Olympics, iHeartRadio has you covered. iHeartRadio is the exclusive audio home of NBC's coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, so it is the only place to listen to the Olympics stream. The free iHeart app is where to go to listen to exclusive play-by-play action of Team USA. To celebrate, we are spotlighting some of the country's athletes that are vying for gold.

Sha’Carri Richardson, a two-time world champion track athlete, is known for her prowess in the 100- and 200-meter dash events. Born on March 25, 2000, in Dallas, Texas, Richardson was raised by her grandmother and aunt. She began running at age nine and quickly became a successful sprinter in middle and high school.

Richardson attended Louisiana State University for one year before turning professional in 2019. She won her first NCAA title in 2019 and set a new collegiate record for the 100-meter dash, recording a time of 10.75 seconds. After setting this record, Richardson decided to withdraw from the university and set her sights on a professional career. She signed a contract deal with Nike the same year.

In June 2021, Richardson qualified for the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics after winning the 100-meter final at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track and field. However, she was disqualified from competing at the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021 due to a positive drug test for marijuana, which she used to cope with the loss of her biological mother.

Despite this setback, Richardson made a strong comeback in 2023, winning the 100-meter sprint at the USATF Outdoor Championships with a time of 10.82 seconds. Her success continued at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, where she won the 100-meter sprint with a championship record time of 10.65 seconds, took third place in the 200-meter sprint, and anchored the women’s 4x100m relay for another first place win.

This month, Richardson secured her spot on Team USA for the Paris Summer Olympics by winning the 100-meter dash in 10.71 seconds. Known for her unique personal style and beauty aesthetic, Richardson's bold fashion choices on the track have included catsuits and other eye-catching racing attire, earning her comparisons to the late track star Florence Joyner.

From exclusive NBC play-by-play action of Team USA to live hourly updates from the Games to original Summer Games podcasts, you can listen to the Olympics stream only on iHeartRadio. Find out more about how to listen.


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