Richardson claims gold for US in 100m at World Athletics Championships |

Favourites Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from Jamaica take silver and bronze at the event in Budapest.

Sha’Carri Richardson of the United States stunned Jamaica’s pre-race favourites from the outside lane to win the 100 metres world title at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

Richardson crushed Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s hopes of a sixth women’s world 100m title when she stormed to victory in a championship record time of 10.65 seconds despite starting in lane nine at the finals on Monday.

It sealed a 100m double for the US after Noah Lyles’ victory in the men’s event.

Jamaican teammates Shericka Jackson and veteran Fraser-Pryce took silver and bronze in 10.72sec and 10.77sec respectively on the third day of action in the Hungarian capital.

It was a remarkable run for the 23-year-old Richardson, who was barred from the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after testing positive for marijuana.

She then saw her hopes of challenging for a medal at last year’s world championships in Eugene, Oregon, go up in smoke when she failed to qualify in the US trials.

“I’m here. I’m the champion. I told you all. I’m not back, I’m better!” said Richardson, whose penchant for regular hair colour changes and brightly painted nails has earned inevitable comparisons to the late Florence Griffith Joyner.

Fraser-Pryce, the reigning champion, said she was “really grateful” for a bronze medal after a difficult season that was hampered by a knee injury.

Humble in victory, gracious in defeat ?#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/hfxjqhRunD

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 21, 2023

‘Perfect’ in lane nine

Hugely popular on social media, and always an outspoken and colourfully attired competitor, she was in good form despite Jackson, who won world silver in Eugene last year, having the fastest time of 10.65 coming into Budapest.

However, Richardson’s global championship struggles looked to be continuing when she was left in the blocks in the semifinals earlier on Monday and the American had to dig desperately deep to finish third and scrape into the final as a fast loser.

That came with the consequence that she was given lane nine – never popular with sprinters – but she had a far better start in the final and maintained her focus away from the traffic.

“I was by myself in my own world, which honestly has been like that all my life,” she told reporters after the race.

“I’ve always been in my own world, my own element, so being in lane nine was perfect for me to do what it is I know to do and to focus in more on myself. And when I celebrated, it was because I felt like I did my best no matter what the result was going to be.”

For an athlete who only just made it into the women’s 100m final, qualifying from one of the non-automatic spots, Sha’Carri Richardson showed up in style to snatch the gold medal with a championship record.#WorldAthleticsChamps women’s 100m…