Teleporting through Hayward Field during the track and field Olympic Trials on Saturday, Sha'Carri Richardson looked like a meteor. There was her sheer speed: at just 21, Richardson is currently the fastest woman in the nation, and her time of 10.86 seconds during the 100-meter dash secured her spot on Team USA [1] for the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics [2] starting July 23. But her hair — fiery orange and styled half-up, half-down — contributed to the supernatural showing.
"She just wanted me to be able to make a statement."
Despite prior acclaim, Richardson's postmeet soundbites and glam appearance solidified her as a star. Richardson often sports long lash extensions and longer acrylics, and though she's typically the mastermind behind her ever-changing hair colours, ahead of the incredibly important Trials, she let her girlfriend decide [3].
"She said it just spoke to her, the fact that it was just so loud and vibrant," Richardson told The Washington Post. "That's who I am. She just wanted me to be able to make a statement — let's continue to show the world I'm a force to be reckoned with."
Fans of the sport won't be surprised to learn that Richardson takes inspiration from Florence Griffith Joyner, who was also known for her statement-making style [5]. Richardson shared photos of Flo-Jo [6] in a 2019 Instagram post and wrote, "Y'all love talking about my hair & my nails like the greatest woman to ever enter the game didn't run in style." She again spoke about the track legend [7] in an Associated Press interview the day before Trials began. "Flo-Jo came to the track and knew she was going to dominate," Richardson said. "The way she did that was graceful. I always liked that. If the amazing Flo-Jo had long nails, there was no excuse why I couldn't have long nails."
With still so much of her athletic career ahead of her, Richardson's path may continue to converge with that of Flo-Jo, the fastest woman of all time. Richardson is currently the sixth-fastest woman of all time, and she's a favourite for the 100-meter event at the Olympics, which Flo-Jo won in 1988. If she were to win, Richardson would be the first American to do so since Gail Devers in 1996.