Sha’Carri Richardson: Fastest Woman Alive? Bio & Net Worth

Few stories in track and field have sparked as much conversation as Sha’Carri Richardson’s, from a suspension that cost her an Olympic shot to a world championship gold in 2023. This article separates fact from rumor, tracing her rise, her setbacks, and where she stands today.

Born: March 25, 2000 ·
Event: 100 m, 200 m ·
Personal Best (100 m): 10.65 s ·
World Championship Gold: 2023 (100 m) ·
Suspension: 2021 (30 days)

Seven key facts, one pattern: Richardson’s career is defined by a single stat line that changed dramatically between 2021 and 2023.

Who is the fastest woman alive right now?

The title of fastest woman alive is often measured by the women’s 100m world record, held by Florence Griffith-Joyner at 10.49 seconds (1988). Among active sprinters, Sha’Carri Richardson’s 10.65 seconds ranks her as the reigning world champion but not the all-time fastest. The current fastest woman based on the official world record remains Griffith-Joyner, though Richardson is the fastest woman at the 2023 World Championships.

Is Sha Carri Richardson the fastest woman alive?

• Richardson is the reigning world champion in the 100m (2023) with a personal best of 10.65 seconds (Olympics.com (official Olympic site)).
• She is not the fastest woman alive — Florence Griffith-Joyner holds the official record at 10.49 seconds (World Athletics (governing body)).
• Richardson’s 10.65 is the fastest time run by any woman in 2023.

The implication: “Fastest woman alive” is a title that belongs to history, not the present. Richardson is the fastest active competitor on the biggest stage, but the record still stands with Griffith-Joyner.

How old is Sha’Carri Richardson?

• Born March 25, 2000, she is 23 years old (as of 2023).
• She turned 23 just before the 2023 World Championships (World Athletics (governing body)).

How tall is Sha’Carri Richardson?

• She stands 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m), which is shorter than many elite sprinters — a detail that makes her acceleration even more notable (World Athletics (governing body)).

This distinction underscores the gap between current dominance and all-time records.

What happened to Sha Carri Richardson?

Richardson’s career took a sharp turn in 2021 when a positive drug test for THC at the U.S. Olympic Trials led to a 30-day suspension, disqualifying her from the Tokyo Olympics. She returned in 2023 to win the 100m at the World Championships.

Sha’Carri Richardson’s suspension in 2021

• She tested positive for THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis, at the U.S. Olympic Trials on June 19, 2021 (USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency)).
• USADA announced a one-month period of ineligibility, starting June 28, 2021 (USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency)).
• Her Olympic qualifying results from June 19 were disqualified, meaning she could not run the individual 100m in Tokyo (TIME (magazine)).

Her return to competition in 2023

• She won the U.S. Championships 100m in Eugene with a time of 10.82 seconds (New York Post (newspaper)).
• At the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, she won the women’s 100m gold in a championship-record 10.65 seconds, beating Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (NPR (public radio)).
• That time took 0.02 seconds off the previous championship record set by Fraser-Pryce (Olympics.com (official Olympic site)).

The pattern: a single mistake altered her Olympic trajectory, but resilience brought her back to the top.

How rich is Sha Carri Richardson?

Richardson’s net worth is not publicly disclosed, but her income sources include track prize money, a Nike sponsorship, and appearance fees. She earned at least $60,000 from her World Championship gold (standard prize money) plus bonuses.

Earnings from track and field

• World Athletics prize money for 100m gold in 2023 was $70,000 (World Athletics (governing body)).
• Diamond League appearances also add to her income.

Endorsement deals

• She signed a sponsorship deal with Nike, though the terms are not public (Essence (lifestyle magazine)).

The trade-off: Richardson’s marketability is high, but her suspension may have cost her major endorsement dollars during the 2021 Olympics. Her net worth is estimated between $500,000 and $1 million by various outlets, but no official figure exists.

Has any woman ran under 10 seconds?

No woman has officially run under 10 seconds for the 100m. The 10-second barrier is a men’s sprint milestone; the women’s world record is 10.49 seconds by Florence Griffith-Joyner.

What is the 10-second barrier?

• The 10-second barrier is a term used in men’s 100m sprinting, meaning no woman has ever officially broken it (World Athletics (governing body)).
• The fastest women’s time ever recorded is 10.49 seconds, set by Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988.

Florence Griffith-Joyner’s world record

• Griffith-Joyner’s 10.49 seconds has stood since 1988 and is widely considered one of the most controversial records in athletics (Olympics.com (official Olympic site)).
• No woman has come within 0.1 seconds of it since 1988.

The catch: the 10-second barrier remains a male milestone, untouched by women.

Who is faster, Sha Carri or Usain?

Usain Bolt is significantly faster than Sha’Carri Richardson. The gap between their personal bests is 1.07 seconds over 100m.

Comparison of personal bests

• Sha’Carri Richardson’s personal best 100m: 10.65 seconds (World Athletics (governing body)).
• Usain Bolt’s world record 100m: 9.58 seconds (Olympics.com (official Olympic site)).
• Bolt’s best is 1.07 seconds faster — a margin that equates to roughly 10 meters on the track.

Usain Bolt’s records

• Bolt holds the world records in both 100m (9.58) and 200m (19.19) (Olympics.com (official Olympic site)).
• He is widely considered the greatest sprinter of all time.

What this means: Comparing Richardson to Bolt is apples-to-oranges because of physiological differences between male and female sprinters. The better comparison is against her female peers, where she is currently the fastest.

Two athletes, one simple truth: Bolt’s 9.58 stands as the fastest human ever, while Richardson’s 10.65 is the best among women in 2023.

The implication: male and female sprinting records are incomparable, but within her peer group, Richardson leads.

Timeline

• March 25, 2000 — Born in Dallas, Texas (World Athletics (governing body))
• 2019 — Sets NCAA 100m record (10.75) as LSU freshman (NCAA (governing body))
• June 2021 — Wins 100m at U.S. Olympic Trials (10.86) (USATF (governing body))
• July 2021 — Suspended 30 days after positive THC test; misses Tokyo Olympics (USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency))
• August 2023 — Wins 100m gold at World Championships (10.65) (NPR (public radio))
• 2024 — Competes in Paris Olympics (upcoming)

“Richardson’s 10.65 seconds in Budapest took 0.02 seconds off the previous championship best set by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce the year before.”

— Olympics.com (official Olympic site)

“USADA stated that Richardson’s competitive results obtained on June 19, 2021, including her Olympic qualifying results, were disqualified.”

— USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency)

For the 2024 Paris Olympics, Richardson faces a field of experienced Jamaican sprinters. Her 10.65 is the fastest time among active athletes, but championship final pressure is a different race. The implication: a medal is expected, but gold is not guaranteed.

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