Sha'Carri Richardson Sends Timely Reminder to Sprint Rivals with Effortless Win at US Championships

Sha'Carri Richardson successfully advanced to the 100m semi-finals on Thursday at the Toyota USA Track and Field Outdoor and Para National Championships.

Richardson made light work of her rivals as she cruised home in 10.90 to seal a tick to Friday night’s semis where she is aiming to make history.

A victory would make her only the second woman since 2000, after Carmelita Jeter, to win three US 100m titles. Notably absent from the 100m field is Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, the 2025 US and world champion, who is focusing solely on the 200m this weekend.

Richardson was returning to the track since finishing second in over the distance at Prefontaine Classic on July 4 and will be hot favourite to make it to the final and win given she has been in good form so far this season.

Meanwhile, Noah Lyles, the reigning Olympic 100m gold medalist, clocked an impressive 9.97 seconds to win his opening heat. The event is being held at Icahn Stadium in New York City, which is hosting the national championships for the first time since 1991.

A highly anticipated showdown is brewing in the men's final between Lyles and Kenny Bednarek, the two-time Olympic 200m silver medalist. Their rivalry intensified at the 2025 US 200m final, where Lyles edged out Bednarek by a mere four-hundredths of a second in a race marked by a memorable stare and a shove.

Lyles has the opportunity to break a recent trend of unpredictability in the men's 100m, which has seen a different champion crowned at the last six national championships—the most since Carl Lewis began his dominant run in 1981.

As the last two-time US 100m champion, Lyles could bring a new era of consistency. He also holds a strong head-to-head record against Bednarek in 100m finals, having won their last seven encounters.