Sha'Carri Richardson Wins LA Grand Prix, Eyes 2028 Gold

Before the gun went off at Allyson Felix Field, Sha'Carri Richardson pointed to the sky, placed her hand over her heart, and took one deep breath. Then she did what she came to do: win.

On Sunday at the LA Grand Prix, Richardson crossed the finish line first in the women's 100 meters, clocking 10.99 seconds at the University of Southern California. The victory marked her return to racing after a year away from competition, and the location made it impossible to ignore what's coming next.

"Being here just in LA alone is almost like a wake-up call for 2028 coming up," Richardson told Olympics.com after the race. She stood just blocks from the LA Memorial Coliseum, the future home of track and field for the LA28 Olympic Games.

The Paris 2024 gold medalist wasn't perfect out of the blocks, but she stayed composed and finished strong. Fellow American Kayla White took second in 11.08 seconds, while Tamari Davis placed third in 11.11.

Richardson competed on a track named after Allyson Felix, the most decorated track and field athlete of all time with seven Olympic golds. The California sun shone, a light breeze moved through the stadium, and Richardson smiled. "I love to feel the weather already," she said.

Why This Inspires

For Richardson, LA28 represents something bigger than another Olympic appearance. It's the chance to compete in a U.S. uniform on U.S. soil in front of a home crowd, something few athletes ever experience.

"It will be a full-circle moment," she told Olympics.com. "It will actually show that hard work pays off, being a young child watching the Olympics grow up and to actually not even just be in the Olympics, but to be in an Olympics with your U.S. uniform on in the USA."

Richardson's journey has unfolded in full public view, with triumphs and challenges shaping her along the way. Since her record-setting days at Louisiana State University to winning gold in the 4x100m relay and silver in the 100m at Paris 2024, she's learned to keep moving forward no matter what.

"My motivation is to just keep going, keep going," Richardson said. Sunday's race was just one performance with a little more than two years until LA28, but it served as a reminder of the destination that continues to drive her.

As her pastor told her: "Let's eat."