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2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials - Day 2© GettyImages

Meet Sha’Carri Richardson: the fastest woman in America

The track star earned herself a spot at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics.


Fabiana Buontempo
Senior Writer
JUNE 23, 2021 11:55 AM EDT

You might have heard the name Sha‘Carri Richardson this past weekend due to the athlete breaking records and making headlines after qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. At only 21-years-old, Richardson is now considered the fastest woman in the country after she won the women’s 100m race in the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Oregon, after clocking in at 10.86 seconds this past weekend.

2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials   Day 2© GettyImages
The 21 year old track star earned herself a spot at this summer’s Olympics.

Richardson is not only incredibly talented, she also has an eclectic look that makes her stand out in a crowd. The young track star sprinted her way to the Tokyo Olympics with colorful hair, mink lashes, nose rings, and long, rainbow nails.

The bright hair that the 21-year-old sported for Saturday‘s trials for the Olympic trials was actually picked out by Richardson’s girlfriend, according to USA Today. “My girlfriend actually picked my color,” Richardson said. ”She said it like, spoke to her, the fact that it was just so loud and vibrant, and that’s who I am.”

Richardson uses her colorful hair as a form of expression and according to NBC Sports, the track star “got some tricks up my sleeve” for how she will style her hair at this year’s Olympics in July.

However, there is more to the 21-year-old than just colorful hair and nose rings. She’s one who has recently endured great suffering after her biological mom passed away just a week before the race, according to NBC.

“My family has kept me grounded. This year has been crazy for me going from just last week losing my biological mother and I‘m still here,” she said. ”My biological mother passed away and I’m still choosing to pursue my dreams, still coming out here, still making sure to make the family that I do still have on this earth proud,” she told NBC.

2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials   Day 2© GettyImages
The track star is known for her eclectic style.

This isn’t the first time that Richardson has been considered a track star, as she ran track and field at her high school in Dallas, Texas before attending Louisiana State University, according to Entertainment Tonight.

Richardson won the 2019 NCAA title in a college record 10.75 seconds as a freshman in college and she was then named SEC freshman track athlete of the year, according to Entertainment Tonight.

We wish Richardson the best of luck at the Tokyo Olympics and we’re excited to see what exactly she has up her sleeve.