One of the most well-known athletes in American track and field, Sha'Carri Richardson, showed why this week.
At the World Athletics Championships on Sunday, Richardson ran the quickest time in the women's 100-meter heats and did it with assurance before she even reached the finish line.
The Jamaican Natasha Morrison, who finished in 11.02 seconds, was easily trounced by the 23-year-old.
Sha'Carri Richardson, who on Sunday at the 2023 World Athletics Championships ran the quickest time to qualify for the 100-meter semifinals, said she isn't worried about proving her detractors wrong.
"I no longer worry about the state of the planet. I've witnessed both the world's friendliness and its hostility against me. I have always been with me, at the end of the day. I've always had God by my side. So now that I'm on this scale, it's my turn," she declared. "It's always been my time, but now is the time to actually do it for myself, the people who felt the same way I did, the people who look like me, and the people who know the truth about themselves, too. I stand in for those folks.
The 23-year-old experienced a severe fall from grace after being forced to miss the Tokyo Olympics two years prior due to a marijuana test result from the U.S. Olympic Trials. She subsequently missed the 100- and 200-meter finals at the USATF Championships last year, which caused her fall to continue.
She would significantly recover in 2023, winning the 100-meter dash in 10.82 seconds at the USATF Championships.