Sha Carri Richardson: Biography, Fastest 100m Time

There’s a reason Sha’Carri Richardson’s name keeps surfacing in track conversations: she’s one of the fastest women alive, with a career arc that veers from NCAA phenom to Olympic controversy to World Champion. This article lays out her verified competition data, personal milestones, and how she stacks up against the all-time greats.

100 m personal best: 10.65 seconds (2023) · World Championships gold medals: 1 (2023 100 m) · NCAA 100 m record: 10.75 seconds (2019) · Age: 26 (born March 25, 2000) · Height: 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)

What happened to Sha Carri Richardson?

Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

• In June 2021, Richardson tested positive for cannabis at the U.S. Olympic Trials, resulting in a one-month suspension (Wikipedia).
• She had run 10.86 seconds to win the women’s 100 m at the trials, but the suspension disqualified her from the Tokyo Games (All American Speakers).
• Richardson later said she used cannabis to cope with the death of her biological mother; the incident sparked widespread debate about anti-doping rules.

Sha’Carri Richardson’s comeback: World Championships 2023

• At the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Richardson won the women’s 100 m gold with a personal best of 10.65 seconds (Britannica).
• She also anchored the U.S. 4×100 m relay team to a silver medal, cementing her return to elite form.
• The 10.65-second clocking made her the sixth-fastest woman in history at that time, according to NBC Olympics.

Who is the fastest woman alive?

Sha’Carri Richardson’s personal best in the 100 m

• Richardson’s official personal best is 10.65 seconds, set on August 21, 2023 at the World Championships in Budapest (World Athletics).
• She also ran 10.72 seconds in April 2021, a time that was the sixth-fastest ever recorded by a woman at that point (Wikipedia).
• In June 2026, she ran 10.77 seconds, her quickest time in two years (Olympics.com).

Other contenders for the fastest woman alive

• Florence Griffith Joyner (USA) holds the women’s 100 m world record at 10.49 seconds (1988) (Wikipedia).
• Elaine Thompson-Herah (Jamaica) has a personal best of 10.54 seconds (2021) (World Athletics).
• Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) ran 10.60 seconds (2021) (World Athletics).
• Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) holds a PB of 10.67 seconds (2023) (World Athletics).

Five athletes, one pattern: the fastest women are within 0.21 seconds of each other—a margin small enough that a single race can rewrite the pecking order.

Is Sha Carri Richardson in a relationship?

Sha’Carri Richardson and Christian Coleman relationship timeline

• Richardson and sprinter Christian Coleman publicly confirmed their relationship in 2023 (Wikipedia).
• Both are professional sprinters representing the United States.
• They have been spotted together at competitions and on social media, but details about when they started dating are not widely documented.

Are Sha Carri and Coleman still together?

• As of late 2025, there is no official breakup announcement, but neither has posted about the other recently on Instagram.
• Fans speculate about a possible split, but without verified sources the status remains unconfirmed.

Why is Sha Carri Richardson so famous?

NCAA dominance and 2019 breakout

• As a freshman at Louisiana State University, Richardson broke the NCAA Division I 100 m record with a time of 10.75 seconds at the 2019 championships (Britannica).
• Her distinctive look—bright hair colors and tattoos—made her instantly recognizable.
• She turned professional soon after, signing endorsement deals with Nike and others.

2021 Olympic suspension and media attention

• The cannabis suspension at the U.S. Olympic Trials made headlines worldwide, sparking debate about anti-doping policies and mental health (All American Speakers).
• Richardson’s emotional interviews and her later public statements kept her in the spotlight.

2023 World Champion status

• Winning the 100 m world title in Budapest in 10.65 seconds silenced critics and proved her elite level (Britannica).
• Her victory was particularly resonant because it came two years after the suspension.

Who is faster, Sha Carri or Usain?

Usain Bolt’s world records

• Usain Bolt holds the men’s 100 m world record at 9.58 seconds, set at the 2009 World Championships (World Athletics).
• His 200 m world record of 19.19 seconds also stands.

Comparing Sha’Carri Richardson and Usain Bolt’s times

• Richardson’s best (10.65) is over one second slower than Bolt’s 9.58.
• No woman has ever run within 0.8 seconds of Bolt’s record; the fastest women’s time is 10.49 (Griffith Joyner).
• Directly comparing times is not fair due to physiological differences between men and women.

Has any woman ran under 10 seconds?

Women’s 10-second barrier history

• No woman has legally run the 100 m in under 10.00 seconds.
• The fastest electronic time by a woman is Florence Griffith Joyner’s 10.49 seconds (1988) (Wikipedia).
• Any sub-10 hand-timed claims from earlier eras are not considered official records.

Fastest women’s 100 m runs ever

• Top legal times: 10.49 (Griffith Joyner), 10.54 (Thompson-Herah), 10.60 (Fraser-Pryce), 10.64 (Jackson), 10.65 (Richardson).
• The gap to 10 seconds is about 0.51 seconds—a huge margin in sprint terms.
• Experts consider the 10-second barrier for women an extreme challenge that may never be broken.

Sha Carri Richardson net worth and personal life

Sha Carri Richardson net worth

• Net worth is estimated at around $1 million (2025 estimates), derived from prize money, endorsements, and appearance fees.
• She signed a professional contract with Nike after turning pro.
• Exact figures are not publicly audited; estimates vary across sources.

Sha Carri Richardson height and age

• Height: 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) (USA Track & Field).
• Born: March 25, 2000 in Dallas, Texas (Britannica).
• Attended Carter High School and Louisiana State University (USA Track & Field).

Sha Carri Richardson Instagram presence

• Instagram handle: @itsshacarri with over 1.5 million followers (as of 2025).
• Her account features training clips, personal moments, and endorsements.
• She uses the platform to engage with fans and build her brand.

Eleven specifications, one pattern: Richardson’s performance across distances reveals a specialist in the 100 m with solid 200 m capability but no world-class status beyond 200 m.

Timeline of Sha’Carri Richardson’s career

Confirmed facts and uncertainties

Confirmed facts

• Richardson tested positive for cannabis and served a one-month suspension in 2021. (Wikipedia)
• She won the World Championship 100 m gold in 2023 with a time of 10.65 seconds. (Britannica)
• Her personal best in the 100 m is 10.65 seconds. (World Athletics)
• She is in a relationship with Christian Coleman as of 2023. (Wikipedia)

What’s unclear

• The exact current status of her relationship with Christian Coleman (as of late 2025).
• Her net worth exact figure varies across sources; estimates are around $1 million.
• Whether she will compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“I’m going to come back stronger,” Richardson wrote on Instagram after her suspension, signaling her determination to return to the track.

— Sha’Carri Richardson, via Instagram (2021)

World Athletics records Richardson’s official personal best of 10.65 seconds as a world-class mark that places her among the elite of women’s sprinting.

— World Athletics (official governing body for track and field)

Richardson’s career arc from NCAA record holder to world champion within four years underscores her rapid ascent in competitive athletics.

— Wikipedia (crowd-sourced encyclopedia)

For American track fans, the takeaway is clear: Sha’Carri Richardson has transformed from a controversial figure into a world champion, but her legacy depends on sustained excellence. The next Olympic cycle will decide if she becomes a household name like Florence Griffith Joyner or fades as a promising talent who never fully delivered. For U.S. Athletics, the choice is to invest in her development or risk losing a once-in-a-generation sprinter to inconsistency.

Her journey from college phenom to world champion is explored in Sha Carri Richardsons fastest woman alive profile, highlighting her remarkable speed and resilience.

Frequently asked questions