Sha'Carri Richardson: The Unexpected Reason She’s Missing the Women’s 200m Final

Sha’Carri Richardson faces a final opportunity to clinch a medal in Paris.

PARIS, France — Sha’Carri Richardson will not compete in the women’s 200-meter finals alongside Team USA’s Gabby Thomas on Tuesday.

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

Thomas, the favorite in the 200-meter race, topped the trials in Oregon and advanced to the finals in Paris with a 21.86-second finish in the semifinals.

Given her fourth-place finish at the trials, Richardson’s sole chance for an individual medal at these Olympics was in the 100-meter dash. However, she was outpaced by Julien Alfred, who claimed Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medal with her win. Alfred surged through the rain to defeat Richardson by 0.15 seconds, a notable margin in women’s Olympic 100m competition since 2008.

Richardson’s next and final shot at an Olympic medal will come in the women’s 4x100m relay. The qualifying rounds begin on Thursday, August 8, with the finals set for Friday, August 9, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern. Should Team USA make it through, Richardson is expected to compete in the relay team.

The women’s 200-meter final, without Richardson, will start at 9:40 p.m. EST/3:40 p.m. EDT at the Stade de France. Gabby Thomas, who previously won bronze in the event in Tokyo, is now the clear favorite after the withdrawal of defending world champion Shericka Jackson from Jamaica on Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.