Sha’Carri Richardson’s arms were already spread in triumph before the race was over, but her Usain Bolt impression didn’t hold. Once she had crossed the finish line, the 23-year-old went from confidence to self-doubt as she searched the stadium scoreboard for her time. And even after her 10.65sec – and her 100m world title – was confirmed, she still couldn’t believe what had happened. Neither could anyone else, frankly.
In Budapest on Monday the American shocked the world, rallying past four of the fastest sprinters in history to win gold on the biggest stage outside the Olympics. This was after she scraped into the final and had to race from the outside lane as a result. Meanwhile, her Jamaican rivals Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce – respectively, the world’s top-ranked sprinter and a 10-time world champion – started their races from the middle of the track, much too far to see Richardson coming. As with Bolt, you can’t help wondering how much faster Richardson’s time could have been if she had run all the way through the tape – especially given her 0.07sec margin of victory. But what could have been hardly detracted from what is: a true redemption story.
