When Sha’Carri Richardson first heard of running the Stawell Gift race, she said, “You’re serious? Why would I do that?” The idea of running on grass with a handicapped start wasn’t all too glorious. But she was confident that she could win. However, despite looking sharp, Richardson stumbled in the semifinals and seemed on the brink of another disappointment. But was that the case?

On April 6, Richardson lined up for the final of the 120m grass race. And the format made the challenge clear as all six runners were ahead of her. She started from 0 metres, while Australia’s Charlotte Nielsen had a nine-metre head start.

For most of the race, Nielsen led the field. But around the 90-metre mark, Richardson began to close the gap, moving past runners one by one before taking control in the final metres.

Sha’Carri Richardson eventually crossed the line in 13.15 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded by a woman at the event. And Nielsen followed in 13.20, with Chiara Santiglia third in 13.36.

“Just make sure I’m patient that first 10-meters like my coach told me today, and just executing the rest,” Sha’Carri Richardson said after the race, via Seven Network television. “I think I realised I was gonna win right past 90.”

The win meant more than just the clock. By taking victory from 0 meters, Richardson became only the third woman ever to achieve that feat at the Stawell Gift. Before her, Australians Melissa Breen (2012) and Bree Rizzo (2025) were the only ones to do it. Richardson’s triumph made her the first American woman in history to join that list.

What makes this win even more meaningful is that it marks her first major victory since the 2024 Summer Olympics. After Paris, Sha’Carri Richardson struggled to rediscover her best form.

• She placed eighth in the 100m at the Brussels Diamond League in 2024, and her 2025 season brought little improvement, with several ninth-place finishes and no gold at the Diamond League Final in Brussels.
• Her biggest setback came at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, where she reached the 100m final but finished fifth in 10.94 seconds.

That is why this moment matters so deeply because she has finally found her way back.

“This is one of the most exciting, fun, and entertaining track meets I’ve ever run in,” Sha’Carri Richardson said. “Not just that, but the love, the true love and support for track and field, unbeatable.”

Earlier on Monday, Richardson’s semifinal run had ended in a near-scare as she won barely by 0.007 seconds after leaning back at the finish and almost letting local favorite Halle Martin snatch the victory. The Stawell crowd held its breath until the result confirmed Richardson’s spot in the final.

Before this, on Saturday, things were smoother. Richardson had already made her mark in the heats, storming past the field despite giving up 10 meters to her nearest rival at the start to clock 13.815 seconds. Christian Coleman matched the excitement, winning his own heat in 12.681.

While now she walked away with the win and $40,000 prize money, the same race told a very different story for her partner.

Sha’Carri Richardson’s partner faces a dark turn at the Stawell Gift

Sha’Carri Richardson and Christian Coleman, who are both training partners and a couple, often prepare together for major sprint seasons. Even their entry into the Stawell Gift was meant to be a fresh start to 2026.  As Richardson herself described it as a ” glorified practice” race, a way to sharpen her execution early in the year. Even the organizers arranged a helicopter entry for them to build excitement, but once the races began, their paths quickly separated.

In the heats, Coleman started from scratch, just like Sha’Carri Richardson, but his race was far tighter. He barely made it through, edging out John Howe by just 0.01 seconds with a time of around 12.68. It was enough to advance. But the semi-final proved even harder.

Once again chasing runners with big head starts, Coleman struggled to close the gap. This time, there was no late surge. He finished fifth in his semi-final and missed out on the final altogether. The men’s title eventually went to Olufemi Komolafe, who clocked an impressive 11.93 seconds off a five-metre mark, with Jake Ireland finishing second in 12.07. Komolafe, a 21-year-old medical student, had hoped to race against his idol Coleman, but that moment never came. Coleman later admitted how tough the race was:

“I gave it everything I got,” he said. “You give them that much of a margin, it’s pretty tough.”

“I hope everybody continues to watch and support [athletics]. I’m definitely looking forward to a really good season, trying to improve over that last 40 to 100. And so I feel really good about it.”

Still, he looked ahead, focused on improving and building toward the rest of the season – much like Sha’Carri Richardson.