EUGENE, Ore. — It started with a stare-down.
Unlike during her two previous heats at the U.S. Olympic trials this weekend when she exuberantly saluted the crowd upon her introduction, Sha’Carri Richardson’s 100-meter women’s final Saturday night at Hayward Field began much differently.
Hands on her hips, she stared straight ahead, locked into a focus that, 10.71 seconds later, made her an Olympian for the first time.
With that blistering time, the fastest in the world by a woman this year, Richardson took gold in the event, officially punching her ticket to the Paris Olympics. There, she’ll join training partners Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry, who placed second and third, respectively.
After crossing the finish line, Richardson, 24, jogged half the first turn of the track before dropping to a knee, bending her head and allowing a few moments to let her emotions take over.
“Definitely still confidence, still my exciting normal self, but more so overwhelmed with just emotions of joy,” Richardson said of her postrace celebration.
“I know that the hard work I’ve put into, not just physically on the track but as well as mentally and emotionally to grow into the mature young lady that I am today and that I’m going to grow into was a full-fledged surreal moment for me to actually…
