Sha’Carri Richardson has made another historic stride. On November 16, the three-time world medalist was named the 2023 Jackie Joyner-Kersee Female Athlete of the Year Award recipient. The prestigious honor, which is issued annually by the USA Track & Field (USATF), pays tribute to outstanding male and female athletes. Winners are selected “through a combination of fan and media votes,” according to the USATF website.
Richardson, 23, will receive the historic honor Dec. 2 during the 2023 Night of Legends ceremony in Orlando, Florida. She has also been nominated for the World Championships Track Performer Award.
The Dallas native has had one hell of a year.
In August, the track and field star took home a gold medal after she became the world’s fastest woman. She zoomed through the 100-meter dash in 10.65 seconds while competing at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
While competing in the Hungarian capital, the 5-foot-5 sprinter scored another gold medal during the 4 x 100-meter relay and earned bronze, landing a personal best of 21.92 seconds during her impressive performance in the 200-meter race. According to the USATF, the track and field icon became the first American woman to obtain a “medal in both sprints since Carmelita Jeter won gold and silver in 2011.” Richardson’s impressive streak came just before she won first place in three separate Diamond League competitions.
As previously reported, the world champion primed her incredible sprinting skills at Carter High School, where she made history as an eight-time state champion. On Oct. 19, the Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to rename the track at Jesse Owens Athletic Complex’s John Kincaide Stadium after the famous sprinter located just a mile from Carter High School. The Dallas athlete was also honored with her own day, officially declared on Nov. 10.
“Wow! I am still in shock over the joy I felt yesterday! It was already an honor to have the track that I ran on in MY HOME town named after me… but to have November 10, 2023, dubbed Sha’Carri Richardson’s Day is incredible,” Richardson penned on Instagram Nov. 11.
“I am so so so grateful. Thank you to every student, school, coach, dignitary, teammate, friend, my city and especially my family for showing up and pouring so much love into me,” the athlete added. “It was special! Words cannot express how I feel in this moment. Thank you! Dallas, this is just the beginning!”
Congrats to Sha’Carri Richardson on receiving the incredible Jackie Joyner-Kersee Female Athlete of the Year Award!
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