"I understand the responsibility I have as a top USA athlete to my country & black family" Sha'Carri Richardson on winning USATF Athlete of the Year 

Saturday night saw Sha'Carri Richardson add another accolade to her already lengthy list of achievements. The sprinter was awarded her very first Jackie Joyner-Kersee Athlete of the Year award for her exceptional athletic displays in 2023.

Richardson's year saw her claim the 100m title at the Budapest World Athletics Championships, alongside a gold in the 4x100m relay and a bronze in the 200m sprint. On the way to her World Championships victory, she clocked the third fastest time ever by a woman in the 100m.

For Sha'Carri Richardson, this success has come after being embroiled in multiple controversies in the last couple of years. But the American is sure that everything has happened at the right time for her.

In her acceptance speech for the award she said,

"A lot of comments saying, "it was a long time coming", (but) no, with the god that I serve, everything happens when it's supposed to happen. So as I stand here today, as your world champion, that's because now was the time for it to happen, now was the most impactful it would be, the most powerful it would be, and the most sincere it would be."

The 23-year old went on to acknowledge the influence and responsibility she holds, saying,

"So as I stand here today, I understand the influence I have, I understand the responsibility that I have to USATF as a top USA female athlete, and to my country, and to my black family, to my beautiful women, to everybody that has been misunderstood for trying to be their best self and not put into a category."

She ended her speech by mentioning that she hoped she inspires people to be who they are unabashedly, stating,

"Because track and field, they put you into a bubble for success, and I feel like I've shown that as long as you are yourself and you work hard, you can display whatever it is that is you and still get the job done"

Sha'Carri Richardson awarded Track Performer of the Year

Sha'Carri Richardson not only won the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Athlete of the Year award on Saturday night, she was also awarded the USATF World Championships Track Performer Wing Award at the same event.

After failing to qualify for the 2022 Eugene World Athletics Championships, the American was truly phenomenal in Budapest this year.

Richardson stunned audiences when she managed to beat out Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce for the gold in the 100m. She also anchored USA to a win in the 4x100m relay alongside teammates Tamari Davis, Twanisha Terry, and Gabby Thomas, clocking a 41.03, the fastest time ever at a World Championships.

Sha'Carri Richardson also sneaked onto the podium for a bronze in the 200m.