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Sha'Carri Richardson dominates 100m, reveals biological mother died last week

After Sha'Carri Richardson clinched her first Olympic berth in a dominating 100-meter performance on Saturday, she ran into the stands to embrace her family. When NBC asked her about the moment on air shortly afterward, she revealed that her biological mother died last week.

"My family has kept me grounded," Richardson, whose first name is pronounced sha-KERRY, said after competing at her first Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon. "This year has been crazy for me. Going from just last week, losing my biological mother, and I'm still here."

Richardson, 21, was asked to repeat what she said and went deeper on what her family means to her, but did not give details on her biological mother's death.

"I'm still here. Last week, finding out my biological mother passed away and I'm still choosing to pursue my dreams, still coming out here, still here to make the family that I do have on this Earth proud.

"And the fact that nobody knows what I go through. Everybody has struggles and I understand that, but y'all see me on this track and y'all see the poker face I put on. But nobody but them and my coach know what I go through on a day-to-day basis.

"And I'll highly grateful to them. Without them, there would be no me. without my grandmother, there would be no Sha'carri Richardson. So my family is my everything. My everything until the day I'm done."

Richardson qualifies for Tokyo Olympics

Sha'Carri Richardson celebrates winning the women's 100 meter final with grandmother Betty Harp on Saturday. She later revealead her biological mother died. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Sha'Carri Richardson celebrates winning the women's 100 meter final with grandmother Betty Harp on Saturday. She later revealead her biological mother died. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Richardson qualified with a 100-meter time of 10.86 seconds. It was .13 seconds faster than Javianne Oliver, who finished second. She will look to qualify in the 200 meters later this week at the trials.

The young track star turned pro following her freshman year at LSU in which she won the 2019 NCAA title in the same event. She's become a household name as the Olympics approach and ran the second-fastest time in the 100-meter in the world this year. The 10.72-second race she completed at the Miramar Invitational in April is the sixth-fastest time in history, though Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce beat it with a 10.63 earlier in June.

She is looking to become the first American to win gold at the 100 meters since Gail Devers in 1996. Elaine Thompson of Jamaica won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and Fraser-Pryce took the top spot at the two prior Olympics in 2008 and 2012.

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