Sha'Carri Richardson captures 1st world title with victory in stacked 100M race

In one of the most stacked 100-metre races of all-time, American Sha'Carri Richardson emerged as the world champion.

Richardson, racing in Lane 9, came from behind in the final 10 metres, crossing the finish line in a championship-record time of 10.65 seconds for her first career world title on Monday in Budapest.

For most of the race there appeared to a Jamaican duel for gold between Shericka Jackson, the reigning 200 world champion, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the 22-time world and Olympic medallist entering this meet.

Jackson wound up with silver at 10.72 seconds, while Fraser-Pryce added a bronze to her medal collection at 10.77 seconds.

But it was Richardson who snuck up in the outside lane, leaving both Jamaicans stunned. Richardson, 23, even looked stunned herself, immediately covering her mouth with her hands before celebrating with the American flag draped around her.

Richardson, a rising sprint star, was famously suspended for the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for marijuana, which she said she took in order to cope with the death of her mother and the pressure of Olympic qualification. A year later, she missed out on qualifying for worlds at home in Eugene, Ore.

Now, Richardson has her first major medal — and it's gold. Her victory also sets up what could be a fascinating rematch at next summer's PAris Olympics, which should also feature the Ivory Coast's Marie-Josée Ta Lou, who placed fourth in the final at 10.81 seconds, and another rising star in St. Lucia's Julien Alfred, who was fifth at 10.93.

The stakes were set about an hour before the final, when the Ivory Coast's Marie-Josée Ta Lou, Richardson and Jackson produced the fastest heat ever in the semifinals.

Ta Lou, who entered worlds unbeaten in 10 100-metre races this season, won that heat in 10.79 seconds.

Richardson actually missed out on an automatic qualifying spot for the final, though her time of 10.84 seconds then was good also for third overall.

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In the women's 400 hurdles, 20-year-old Savannah Sutherland of Borden, Sask., qualified for Tuesday's semifinals by finishing fourth in her heat.

Sutherland, the University of Michigan athlete who won the NCAA title in the discipline, clocked a time of 55.85 seconds.

"It feels kinda crazy just seeing people who I looked up to in high school and now racing against them on the same track," said Sutherland, who made world championship debut.

Brooke Overholt, of St. Mary's Ont., finished seventh in her heat in 56.2 seconds and did not advance.

In women's pole vault, Alysha Newman of Delaware, Ont., and Saskatoon's Anicka Newell both failed to qualify for the finals.

Newman had a top vault of 4.5 metres while Newell's best was 4.35 metres.

The automatic qualifying mark of 4.65 metres was met by 12 vaulters, which was enough to fill out the field for the final.

Newman is returning from a serious concussion last spring that sidelined her for months. She won a Canadian title last month in Langley, B.C., with a vault of 4.73 metres.

"You hope to come, savour anything you can," said Newman. "My neurologist would say that we weren't focusing on this year, but I got a little greedy and said I can do it this year and next year. He won't be disappointed, but I will be."

Lyles breaks down on podium

Meanwhile, all the brashness and bravado melted away when the gold medal finally went around Noah Lyles' neck.

The 100 winner doubled over and broke into tears at the ceremony, held the day after he defied the experts and earned the title of "World's Fastest Man" with a victory in what has traditionally been his second-best race.

After Lyles composed himself, he stood up and took a deep bow to the crowd amassed at the medals plaza set up outside the stadium.

The entire moment has hit him quicker than he ever anticipated. Much quicker than winning his back-to-back world 200 titles.

"I'm trying to get the right words — this is the fastest medal that's sunk in the quickest," Lyles told The Associated Press in an interview earlier Monday about his win. "This one, it's definitely like, 'Title of fastest man of the world. Title of the 100-metre champion. Running the world-leading time. Grabbing the medal.' That is the one I've been reaching for, for so long — and I got it."

Lyles finished the race Sunday night in 9.83 seconds to edge Letsile Tebogo, the 20-year-old from Botswana, and bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes of Britain.

Tebogo and Hughes were with Lyles on the medal stand and comforted him when he broke down. Lyles has been open and honest about the mental health struggles he's endured, especially in the post-COVID atmosphere of the Tokyo Olympics.

"[My mental health has] definitely been growing stronger and stronger since 2021," Lyles said. "Every year I feel that I've been able to continuously add on to layers of security, I guess you could call it, or just good health.

"It's really put a perspective on how I've been able to view things."

Lyles has a chance for the first men's 100-200 double at the worlds or the Olympics since Usain Bolt accomplished the feat in 2016 at the Rio de Janeiro Games.

The 26-year-old Lyles has a 200 time in mind, too — 19.10 seconds. That would break Bolt's record mark of 19.19 in 2009.

Live coverage of the entire meet is available on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem through Sunday.