Three years after being banned from the Tokyo Olympic Games because of THC found in her system, queer runner Sha’Carri Richardson qualified for this year’s Paris Olympics after winning the 100-meter final on June 22 at the U.S. trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, CNN reported.
Richardson finished in first place with a time of 10.71 seconds—the fastest time at that distance in the world this year—to earn her spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics with the U.S. Olympic team.
She advanced to the semifinals on June 21 after finishing in first place, despite stumbling at the start and finishing the race with an untied shoe. Richardson then advanced to the final with a time of 10.86 seconds in her semifinal.
Richardson’s training partner, Melissa Jefferson, and Twanisha Terry also qualified for the 2024 Olympics after finishing second and third, respectively, in the U.S. final. Richardson is also entered in the 200 meters, which will be run June 27, and she is expected to be on the 4×100 relay team as well.
Another LGBTQ+ athlete who bears watching is shot-put thrower Raven Saunders (she/they). Last year, Saunders—who used her silver-medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics to bring attention to social injustice—was suspended for 18 months for failing to show up for doping tests. She missed the 2023 world championships but is eligible for the 2024 Olympic Games.