The Reason Sha'Carri Richardson Missed the Women's 200m Final

Sha’Carri Richardson has one more chance to win a medal in Paris.

PARIS, France — Sha’Carri Richardson was noticeably absent from the purple track during the women’s 200-meter finals on Tuesday, where Team USA’s Gabby Thomas competed.

Richardson, who secured a silver medal for the 100-meter dash on Saturday, did not qualify for the 200-meter event. She finished fourth at the U.S. track trials held earlier this summer.

Meanwhile, Thomas, who entered the 200-meter race as the favorite, clinched the gold medal with a time of 21.83 seconds. She adds this victory to the bronze she won in Tokyo three years ago.

Richardson’s exclusion from the 200-meter race means her only solo Olympic medal opportunity was in the 100-meter dash.

The 24-year-old faced a tough opponent in Julien Alfred, who brought Saint Lucia its first-ever Olympic medal. Alfred had a strong start and pushed through the rain to finish .15 seconds ahead of Richardson, roughly three body lengths.

This margin was the largest in the women’s Olympic 100-meter event since 2008.

Richardson has one remaining event in the Paris Olympics.

She will participate in the women’s 4x100m relay. The qualifying rounds begin on Thursday, Aug. 8, and the finals are scheduled for Friday, Aug. 9 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Should Team USA advance, we can expect to see Richardson compete in the relay.

In other news, the women’s 200-meter final will commence at 3:40 p.m. EDT at Stade de France.

Gabby Thomas, who previously secured a bronze in Tokyo, secured her spot in the final with a semifinal time of 21.86 seconds.

Notably, Jamaican sprinter Shericka Jackson, the defending world champion, withdrew from the event on Sunday. This development solidified Thomas’s position as the event’s clear favorite.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.