LONDON (July 23) – Sha’Carri Richardson, the electrifying US sprint star, faced a disappointing setback at the London Diamond League 2023 meeting on Sunday as she was forced to withdraw from the highly anticipated 100m event due to an irritated hamstring.
Injured Sha’Carri Richardson’s Budapest 2023 World Championships Gold Quest in Jeopardy?
The news cast a shadow over her upcoming quest for a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest next month.
The 23-year-old Richardson, considered one of the leading contenders for victory in the women’s 100m at the global gathering, made the difficult decision to pull out approximately an hour before the race, leaving spectators and fellow athletes to absorb the news.
“In warm-up, she had a sore hamstring and received treatment,” the Wanda Diamond League revealed in a statement. “She has decided to withdraw as a precaution with the World Athletics Championships the priority.”
Sha’Carrie Richardson, an explosive talent, has been on an impressive streak this season, recording four sub-10.80 seconds runs with legal wind readings. The sprinter, born in Dallas, achieved a notable feat at the USATF Outdoor Championships 2023, where she clocked 10.71 seconds. Throughout the year, she has also claimed victories over some of the world’s finest sprinters.
This withdrawal dashed hopes for an exciting showdown between Richardson and Jamaican world leader Shericka Jackson, as well as Ivory Coast’s Marie Josée Ta Lou, who currently holds the third-fastest time of the season.
Shericka Jackson holds the global lead in the 100m event, having set an impressive time of 10.65 seconds. However, she has faced defeat twice this season at the hands of the flamboyant Sha’Carri Richardson.
On the other hand, Marie Josée Ta Lou has been in excellent form, boasting a seven-race winning streak in the 100m. After securing silver medals in 2017, she has her sights set on clinching her first world track and field championships gold medal.
“I hope to go back and train even harder for Budapest because I know it will take more to win there,” the Ivory Coast sprinter, who ran a meeting record of 10.75 seconds at the London Athletics Meet, commented after Sunday’s win.
“I need to improve my start to make sure I can achieve my goal of winning gold.”
Meanwhile, with Richardson out of the race in London, it opened the door for other athletes to grab the limelight, including British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith who clocked a season-best time of 10.85 seconds to finish second behind Ta Lou. Jackson, who faced initial difficulty due to a poor start, managed to secure third place on the podium with a time of 10.94 seconds.