Sha’Carri Richardson launched her bid for Olympic redemption with a comfortable victory in the opening heats of the women’s 100 metres at the Stade de France on Friday.
The reigning world champion — aiming to become the first American since Gail Devers in 1996 to win Olympic 100m gold — sailed through her heat in 10.94sec.
The 24-year-old Texan burst out of the blocks smoothly and was quickly into her stride before pulling away early on and then shutting it down well before the finish line in a supremely confident first ever race in an Olympic Games.
“To be at the Olympics is a phenomenal feeling,” Richardson told US broadcaster NBC after her impressive debut.
“To be an athlete here, competing with the energy, with a great appreciation for the track and field, it gives great support to be a track and field athlete.
“So I’m super excited to compete on the Olympic stage.”
Richardson is competing in Paris three years after her dreams of Olympic gold in Tokyo were wrecked by a positive test for marijuana following her victory at US trials.
However the flamboyant track star roared back to the pinnacle of her sport with a surprise victory at last year’s World Championships in Budapest and is considered the hot favourite for her event in Paris.
Jamaica’s reigning Olympic 100m and 200m champion Elaine Thompson-Herah is unable to compete in Paris due to injury, while another Jamaican, Shericka Jackson, has withdrawn from the 100m to concentrate on the 200m.
That leaves Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred as Richardson’s main rival. Alfred won her heat in 10.95sec on Friday but declined to speak to reporters following the race.
The fastest time in Friday’s morning heats belonged to the Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith.
The 35-year-old veteran, silver medallist in the 100m at the 2017 World Championships, clocked 10.87sec to win her heat ahead of Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the 2008 and 2012 Olympic 100m gold medallist.
Fraser-Pryce, 37, was second quickest in the heats with a time of 10.92sec.
“It went okay,” Fraser-Pryce said after her race.
Britain’s Daryll Neita was third quickest in 10.92sec, fractionally behind Fraser-Pryce.
Richardson will return for Saturday’s semi-finals where she will be aiming to reach the final later in the day to claim one of the first high-profile golds of the athletics competition.
