Richardson wins women's 100m in season debut
Watch the full race of the LA Grand Prix's women's 100-meter final with Sha'Carri Richardson getting the win in her 2026 debut.
Video Transcript
As we turn our attention to the Nike Women's 100 meters, Flo-Jo still has that record.
Sha'Carri Richardson had the collegiate record until two days ago, but she is still one of the brightest stars in the sport.
Will race here today in five.
The equal seventh fastest of all time.
The last time we saw her this year she was in Australia winning the Star World Gift, but this is her official 100 meter season opener.
She has the silver from the last Olympics.
Here is Cambria Sturgis, who has already run 10.92 this year.
Her personal best dates back to 10, to 2022 when she ran 10.87.
And of course, the reigning world champion in the 100, 200 and four by one from last summer in Tokyo, Melissa Jefferson Wooden, is watching her training partner, Sha'Carri Richardson, make her season debut in the 100.
So Otto, you had a lot of season openers at certain distances.
Here at the 100 for Sha'Carri, what's she hoping to accomplish here with the summer still to come?
Your season opener in the 100 can, you can feel a little bit like a fish out of water.
You feel like, "Wow, that, that, the, the race kinda got away from me."
You just wanna finish healthy and feel like your training is working.
Richardson in five.
And here we go.
As she'll try to get out of the blocks quickly here.
Pretty even through the first 20 meters out on the outside.
It is now Sha'Carri Richardson coming into frame as the leader and the winner, into a headwind.
Still goes under 11 seconds to take the win.
I don't think her coach, Dennis Mitchell, will have too much to say about that season opener.
And these females sprinter opening their season in sub-11 time means that practice is going pretty well.
Canadian record was set back in 2023- So her personal best is 10.65 by world champion Sha'Carri Richardson.
But this was an impressive opener for Sha'Carri Richardson, to get under 11 seconds, and she didn't have a lot of help from the wind either, 'cause it was actually into a slight headwind.
So when you have a field that includes Tamari Davis, who's a world finalist, and Kayla White, who's made US teams, as well as Favour Ofili, who's an Olympic sixth placer in the 200, you take care of them in your season opener, I think Sha'Carri will be happy with this performance, Paul.
Nice, nice start by Tamari Davis, couldn't hold that lead.
She finishes in third, Kayla White second, and Sha'Carri Richardson sets the facility record here.
Just by comparison, she ran 11.47 in her opener last year, sub-11 today.
Lewis.
All right, with the fans standing behind waiting for more autographs, you come for your season opener in the 100, sub-11, 10.99.
What do you think?
I feel good.
For it to be a season opener, I definitely am just prepared to keep training, keep running, and just finish out the season stronger than before and just work on the things that are my weaknesses and just add them to execute better and more.
It's hard not to, it, it's hard to ignore that the stadium for the Olympics in '28 is only a mile from here, Sha'Carri.
As you get ready and think about that, what are your d- goals and aspirations for LA 2028, even though it's a ways away?
Oh my gosh, even though it's a ways away, it's still right around the corner.
Every race, every practice is still, like, in the back of our minds, like, that is what we're truly preparing for.
So every single time I get on the track, I'm thinking about LA.
I can only imagine.
Sha'Carri, thank you so much, and I think more autographs for you.
Absolutely, gotta do it for the generation.
All right, good stuff.
