Coming into the 2025 World Championships as the reigning 2023 world champion, expectations around Sha’Carri Richardson were high. But the 100m final did not go her way, as she finished 5th in 10.94. Soon after, criticism followed, with some fans calling her season “cooked for the year.” Now in 2026, the focus has shifted again as she has returned to form after recently running her fastest time since 2024.

On June 20, Richardson lined up at the Star Athletics Sprint Series in Florida at Horizon High School in Winter Garden and won the women’s 100m in 10.77 seconds with a +0.3 m/s wind. That performance puts her among the fastest women in the world this season, just behind Georgia’s Adaejah Hodge, who ran a world lead and NCAA record of 10.63 (+1.9 m/s) in Eugene. But what stands out is how much she has improved in a short time.

It was only her second 100m race of the 2026 season. Earlier, she opened the year at the USATF LA Grand Prix at the USC Allyson Felix at Loker Track Stadium in Los Angeles, where she ran 10.99 to win. The jump from 10.99 to 10.77 shows she is getting sharper with each race. Interestingly, the 10.77 is also her fastest time since the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials final, where she clocked 10.71.

Her personal best is still 10.65, set at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where she won gold. But there is one more reason why it stands out.

The picture was different in 2025. Her season best that year was 10.94 in the World Championships final. Before that, she ran 11.47 (-0.9) at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Tokyo, finishing fourth, and 11.07 (+1.3) at the USA Championships in Eugene, where she placed second. It was a season where she could not stay close to her top level consistently.

Interestingly, at the Star Athletics Sprint Series, Shaunae Miller-Uibo finished second in 11.05, while Melissa Jefferson-Mouzon took third in 11.14. Now in 2026, this 10.77 is a step in the right direction, which shows she is starting to find her rhythm again and slowly moving closer to her best form. However, her end goal is not just the 2026 season, but something greater.

Sha’Carri Richardson is looking beyond 2026

Sha’Carri Richardson has already shown momentum in her 2026 campaign at various levels. At the Stawell Gift in Australia, she won the historic 120m handicap race from scratch, becoming only the third woman in history to do so. She finished with a winning time of around 13.15 seconds.

She was also part of the United States women’s 4x100m relay team that ran a world-leading 41.70 in Gainesville, Florida, alongside Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Anavia Battle, and Kayla White. Now attention turns back to the track season ahead. She is scheduled to run at the Prefontaine Classic on July 4 in the 100m, where she will face Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. After that, she is expected to compete at the USATF Championships from July 23 to 26 at Icahn Stadium in New York City.

But beyond the season, her focus is clearly pointing further ahead. The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is already in her sights. As she put it, “Every race, every practice, it’s still in the back of our minds. That’s what we’re truly preparing for.” She added, “So every single time I get on the track, I’m thinking about LA.” For now, the results point to a season building in the right direction rather than a finished story.