Sha'Carri breezes through opening round at her first Olympic race, wins 100 heat in 10.94 seconds

SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Sha'Carri Richardson blazed through a no-fuss opening round in the 100 meters Friday, winning her first-ever race at the Olympics in 10.94 seconds to easily qualify for the semifinals.

Wearing neon green shoes, which contrasted well against the bright purple track, the American captured the first of eight first-round races on the opening day of track action at a jam-packed Stade de France.

“To be at the Olympics is a phenomenal feeling, to be an athlete here, competing with the energy, with a great appreciation for track and field," Richardson said to NBC after the race. She did not stop for interviews with print reporters.

Also making it through first-round races were all the top contenders, including Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica, a two-time champion in this event who is making her fifth and final Olympic appearance. Fraser-Pryce ran 10.92 but finished second to Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith of Ivory Coast, who won the day's fastest heat in 10.87.

Richardson's American training partners, Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry, also made it through.

Unlike at Olympic trials earlier this month, Richardson got off to a solid start, bursting from the blocks and getting upright quickly, then kicking into overdrive and cruising into the finish, tapping her chest with her hands as she crossed the line.

She'll race in the semifinals Saturday night, and if she advances there, she'll go for gold a few hours later.

Last year, she won the gold medal at world championships to write another chapter in a comeback that began shortly after winning Olympic trials in 2021, when she tested positive for marijuana and was not allowed to compete in Tokyo.

The runners involved in what might be track's best rivalry stayed on a collision course. Josh Kerr of Britain and Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway each advanced through their opening heats in the 1,500.

They'll race again Sunday, with the final scheduled for Tuesday.

World-record holder and world champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine jumped only twice, clearing 1.95 meters on the second try, which was all she needed to easily move into Sunday night's final.

There were no big surprises. Eleanor Patterson of Australia, the 2022 world champ, also made it through, as did American Vashti Cunningham, though she did so with a mark of 1.92 after missing at 1.95 three times.

___

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games