Sha’Carri Richardson secured second place in the women’s 100-meter final at the Paris Olympics, earning a silver medal at her first-ever Olympic Games.
Richardson came in second place at 10.87 seconds. Her teammate, Melissa Jefferson, clinched bronze in 10.92 seconds. It was a close match, with Julien Alfred of St. Lucia earning her country’s first-ever medal with a 10.72-second score, beating Richardson by just .15 seconds.
The 24-year-old sprinter was expected to clinch gold, having qualified for the competition with a winning 10.71-second run.
The sprinter’s biggest challenger, Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, had dropped out of the 100-meter event earlier this week to focus on the 200-meter dash instead.
Richardson, who specializes in the 100-meter dash, was vying to become the first American woman to clinch gold in the race since 1999. She is now set to compete again in the women’s 4×100-meter Relay race on August 8.
The Dallas, Texas sprinter was also a contender for the 200-meter race but did not advance past the US Olympic Trials after securing fourth place.
The Paris Olympics are Richardson’s first after the US Anti-Doping Agency barred her from the 2021 Tokyo Games due to a positive marijuana test. Richardson, who accepted a one-month suspension for the violation, was expected to win gold in Tokyo.
“I know what I did, I know what I’m supposed to do, what I’m allowed not to do, and I still made that decision,” Richardson said at the time.
“Don’t judge me, because I am human…I just happen to run a little faster,” she continued.