Sha’Carri Richardson wins silver in Olympic 100-meter sprint and Internet loves her 'redemption'

PARIS, FRANCE: Sha’Carri Richardson completed her redemption tale with a silver medal in the 100-meter sprint at the 2024 Olympics.

Three years after being declared ineligible following a positive test for cannabis, Richardson finished second with a time of 10.87 seconds.

Sha’Carri Richardson lost gold by 15 seconds difference from Julien Alfred

Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred won the gold, earning the island nation’s first Olympic medal with a 10.72-second sprint at the rain-soaked Stade de France noted the New York Post.

Richardson’s training partner, Melissa Jefferson, claimed the bronze medal with a time of 10.92 seconds.

Alfred got off to a fantastic start, then powered through the rain and beat Richardson by 15 seconds.

“It means a lot to me. It means a lot to my coach. It means a lot to my country,” Alfred said, according to the Associated Press. “I’m sure they’re celebrating right now.”

Two-time gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce surprisingly withdrew from the competition before her semifinal, while Elaine Thompson-Herah, who won gold in Tokyo, did not compete at all.

Sha’Carri Richardson's dream was delayed for three years 

Sha’Carri Richardson, who also won gold in the 100 meters at the 2023 World Championships, has long been building towards Olympic glory.

However, her dream was delayed by three years after she was declared ineligible for the 2021 Olympics following the US Trials.

That one-month suspension for cannabis use, which Richardson openly admitted to using to cope with the pressure of Olympic qualifying and the recent death of her biological mother, faced widespread criticism, including from the US President.

“The rules are the rules and everybody knows what the rules were going in,” President Joe Biden said at the time as per The Guardian.

“Whether they should remain the rules is a different issue, but the rules are the rules," he added

"Every move you make is leading to checkmate. So the Olympics, that’s checkmate, that’s the moment an athlete dreams about," she told Vogue Magazine ahead of the Olympics.

Internet praises Sha'Carri Richardson's performance as her redemption after US Trials

Sha’Carri Richardson’s silver medal performance sparked a wave of admiration and praise on social media.

"World Champion and Olympic Silver medalist all within 1 year. TOP TIER," wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter). "We’re so proud of her," wrote another.

"@itsshacarri I can’t imagine the mental pressure you had to overcome on the Olympic stage given our journey—you performed with honor. Congratulations!" wrote one more.

"What a brilliant performance," wrote another. "Amazing job!!! Love this redemption arc," another user added. One more wrote, "USA is Proud of you."

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