Despite clinching silver in the women's 100m final at the Paris Olympics , Sha'Carri Richardson won't be able to represent Team USA in Tuesday's 200m final.
Richardson , 24, failed to qualify for the event after finishing fourth at the U.S. Olympic track trials back in June. Her Team USA teammate, Gabby Thomas, won the qualifier after clocking a time of 21.81 seconds.
Brittany Brown and McKenzie Long finished in second and third, respectively, with Richardson just behind after recording a time of 22.16 seconds. Richardson's finish meant she wasn't eligible to compete in the 200m at the Paris Olympics, but did qualify for the 100m and 4x100m relay.
Thomas, Brown, and Long have all qualified for Tuesday's 200m final, with Thomas clocking the best time (21.86) in the semi-final heats. Her time was the fastest across all semi-final contests, meaning she will be one of the favorites to win the gold medal.
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Richardson made a name for herself in 2019 as a freshman at LSU and broke the 100m collegiate record at the NCAA Division I Championships with a time of 10.75 seconds. It placed her within the top ten fastest women aged 19, and Team USA had a star on its hands.
Four days after those championships Richardson announced she would sign a professional contract at the end of her first year, forgoing her collegiate eligibility. Richardson signed with Nike and qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games, but a positive urine sample ended her dreams.
Ahead of the delayed Tokyo Games, Richardson's urine sample tested positive for THC which suggested recent cannabis use. Richardson completed a counseling program and accepted a one-month suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), but it ruled her out of the 100m event at the Olympics.
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Richardson was distraught and claimed that she used the drug as a coping mechanism following the death of her mother. She was still eligible for the 4x100m relay event in Tokyo but was not selected and therefore left out of the Olympic roster.
A statement was made at the 2023 World Championships as Richardson clinched gold in the 100m final, but she settled for bronze in the 200m. Her silver medal in the 100m final in Paris was her first Olympic medal, but she was beaten by St Lucia's Julien Alfred who claimed the first-ever gold medal for the nation .
Richardson's frustration with coming in second place behind Alfred was palpable in the hours after her event. The 24-year-old elected not to speak to reporters after her finish, aside from correcting a reporter on how to properly pronounce her name.
The next day as she walked through the mixed zone at Stade de France on Sunday, Richardson was asked if she was "happy" by the turn of events. Richardson quickly replied she was "very happy" before walking away from the assembled media.
Richardson will have the chance to win a gold medal on Aug. 9, provided Team USA reaches the final of the 4x100m relay as expected. Richardson is coached by former Team USA gold medalist Dennis Mitchell, who also trained former men's sprinter Justin Gatlin.
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