STAWELL, Australia (AP) — American sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson surged through the field Monday to win the Stawell Gift, an annual race contested on handicap over 120 meters on grass in a small Australian town near Melbourne.
In the 144th edition of the event, Richardson provided one of its most breathtaking finales as she started at scratch and caught the field at the 90-meter mark before pulling away for an astonishing win in 13.15 seconds.
“Just make sure I’m patient that first 10-meters like my coach today told me, and just executing the rest,” Richardson told Seven Network television post race. “I think I realized I was gonna win right past 90.”
The 26-year-old American, one of the fastest women of all time, is just the third woman to win the race from scratch and claimed a prize of 40,000 Australian dollars ($27,500).
Richardson won a silver medal in the 100 meters in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and gold in the 4×100 relay that same year. She also claimed the 100-meter title at the 2023 World Championships.
After a near calamity in the semifinals earlier Monday, where Richardson rose too soon and was almost pipped on the line, the American made no errors in the final, chasing down the field early and running through the line powerfully.
She celebrated with fans before embracing boyfriend and former world champion Christian Coleman, who was the marquee name of the men’s draw. She and Coleman remain in a relationship despite a domestic violence charge against Richardson last July.
“This is one of the most exciting, fun, and entertaining track meets I’ve ever ran in, not even just that, but the love, the true love and support for track and field, unbeatable,” she said.
Coleman misses men’s final
Former 100-meter World Champion, Coleman failed to qualify for the men’s final after finishing sixth in his semifinal earlier Monday with 12.48 seconds. Only the winners of the six semifinals for both the men’s and women’s division qualified for the respective finals.
Both Richardson and Coleman raced from “scratch” meaning they were required to run the entire distance and chase down opponents, which proved too much of a gulf to bridge for Coleman, despite him closing the gap appreciably in the latter stages of his heat.
“Yeah, it is what it is, but I mean, I gave it everything I got, like you said, they’re great athletes, so when you’re giving up that much of a margin, I mean, it’s pretty tough,” Coleman said to Seven Network television.
Australian Olufemi Komolafe won the men’s Stawell Gift ahead of Jake Ireland and Dutchman Liam van der Schaaf.
Semifinal scare for Sha’Carri
Earlier Monday, Richardson powered through the field to win her semifinal by just 0.007 seconds after she leaned back at the finish allowing local Halle Martin to almost steal the race in a photo finish.
“I feel like I am having a great time, but also working on race pattern, me and my coach Dennis Mitchell staying calm, executing, and running through the line,” Richardson said after the semifinal.
In Saturday’s heats, Richardson, who gave away 10 meters to her closest competitor at the start, won her heat in 13.815 seconds Saturday and Coleman his in 12.681.
There are more than 700 competitors in the Stawell race, including many of Australia’s top runners, in the event held about 235 kilometers (145 miles) west of Melbourne.
It has not been disclosed whether Richardson or Coleman have been paid appearance money to take part in the race. Last year Australian media reported that top Australian sprinter Gout Gout was paid 50,000 Australian dollars (35,000) to run at Stawell, where he was eliminated in the semifinals.
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The Associated Press
