Sha'Carri Richardson Fires Back at Critics: 'I've Seen the World Turn on Me'

After qualifying for the 100-meter semifinals with the fastest time at the 2023 World Athletics Championships on Sunday, Sha'Carri Richardson said she isn't concerned with proving herself to her critics.

"I'm not worried about the world anymore. I've seen the world be my friend, I've seen the world turn on me. At the end of the day, I've always been with me. God has always been with me. So being on this scale now, it's my time," she said. "It's always been my time, but now it's my time to actually do it for myself, and the people that felt like me, and the people that look like me, and the people that know the truth about themselves as well. I represent those people."

The 23-year-old was likely referring to the fall from grace she experienced after she was forced to miss the Tokyo Olympics two years ago after testing positive for marijuana during the U.S. Olympic Trials. She received a 30-day suspension and was left off the U.S. women's 4x100 relay team.

Richardson then fell short of the 100m and 200m finals in the USATF Championships last year. However, she bounced back this year by winning the 100m dash at the 2023 USATF Championships with a time of 10.82 seconds.

Richardson, who won her heat on Sunday with a blistering time of 10.92 seconds, was one of just three runners to post a sub-11 finish during the qualifying round in Budapest, Hungary. The semifinals and finals will both be held on Monday.