What is Sha'carri Richardson's fastest time? What to know about her personal records

One of the biggest stars of the 2024 Olympic Games is undoubtedly American track star Sha'Carri Richardson. Despite having never competed in an Olympics before, Richardson's meteoric rise and fall from grace prior to the 2021 Olympics left several people wondering if she could return to form and make another case for gold in 2024.

Richardson may have failed to qualify for the Olympic team in the 200-meter. She did qualify for the 100-meter though, and if her performance at U.S. Olympic Trials is any indication, she'll surely have a shot at the podium in Paris.

Or will she? As fast as Richardson might be, is she actually a threat to Jamaica or any of the other top runners around the world? Here is Richardson's top best time in the 100-meter and how it ranks compared to other top runners at this year's Olympics.

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Sha'Carri Richardson's best times:

Richardson qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team by running the 100-meter in 10.71 seconds at the trials. However, that is not Richardson's fastest time in that event. Richardson's best time is 10.65 seconds, set at the World Championships in Budapest in 2023.

While that is incredibly fast, that is not a world record. The world record in the 100-meter belongs to another American sprinter, Florence Griffith-Joyner, who ran a 10.49 in 1988. There is controversy surrounding this record though. Even if this record was not officially recognized (it is), Richardson's time would still not be the fastest. The fastest would belong to Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah, who ran a 10.54 on August 21, 2021.

How does Richardson's time compare to other 2024 Olympians?

Richardson is currently the favorite to win gold in Paris. Her 10.65 second-best is tied for the fifth-fastest 100-meter dash of all time. Trailing right behind Richardson are sprinting legends Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce. Jackson has run a 10.65 in the 100-meter before, but her main event is the 200. With all of Richardson's attention set on the 100-meter, it's likely that she'll be able to come away victorious.

This will be Fraser-Pryce's fifth Olympics. She is 37 years old. She's still remarkably fast, though—just not as fast as she used to be. Fraser-Pryce's fastest time was a remarkable 10.60, but that came in 2021. She could very well win gold when the 100-meter finals happen on August 3, but it would likely take a very poor race from both Richardson and Jackson for her to win.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How fast is Sha'Carri Richardson? Olympians fastest times