Sha’Carri Richardson made up for missing the Tokyo Olympics due to a drug ban to sensationally win the women’s 100 metres world title in Budapest on Monday in a championship record of 10.65sec.
The 23-year-old American stormed home from lane nine to edge Jamaican duo Shericka Jackson, who ran 10.72sec, and five-time champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who clocked 10.77sec.
Richardson missed the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 after testing positive for marijuana at the US trials.
“I’m back, I’m back!” she said once she got her breath back.
Richardson had barely made it into the final, only as one of the two fastest losers after a terrible start in her semi-final.
However, she made no mistake when it really mattered, getting out of the blocks crisply and although Jackson held the lead entering the final few metres the American had enough in reserve to pass her.
Jackson’s dreams of becoming only the fourth woman to achieve the sprint double have been shattered but she still has the 200m title to defend.
Fraser-Pryce edged veteran Marie-Josee Ta Lou for the bronze.
The 36-year-old Jamaican still managed a smile despite missing out on equalling pole vaulter Sergey Bubka’s world championship record of six gold in the same event.
Seven of the nine finalists went under 11 seconds in a top-class final that reflected an era of high-quality women’s sprinting.
Richardson’s win is the first in the world 100m final for an American since the late Tori Bowie in London in 2017.
Bowie was found dead in her home earlier this year aged 32.
