Allow Sha'Carri Richardson to reintroduce herself -- the American sprinter proved she's ready to do her thing at the 2024 Paris Games ... absolutely leaving her competition in the dust in her Olympic debut!!
The women's 100-meter dash went down on the purple tracks of Stade de France on Friday ... and Richardson breezed by her opponents with a winning time of 10.94 seconds.
Welcome to the Olympic Games, Sha’Carri Richardson! #ParisOlympics
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 2, 2024
📺 E! and Peacock pic.twitter.com/qxtT9xLALw
This massive outing punched her ticket to the semifinal round on Saturday ... and after the race, Richardson opened up on what the whole moment meant to her.
"To be at the Olympics is a phenomenal feeling," Richardson said. "To be an athlete here, competing with the energy here with a great appreciation for track and field, I’m super excited and eager to compete on the Olympics stage."
Olympic debut in the books. ✅⁰⁰Sha’Carri Richardson is ready to show her talents on the biggest stage. #ParisOlympics
— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) August 2, 2024
📺 E! and Peacock pic.twitter.com/VEwPNgqy3u
Of course, Richardson's first Olympics experience was derailed ... after the 24-year-old Dallas native received a 1-month suspension for testing positive for THC, forcing her out of the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Richardson explained she smoked marijuana after a reporter told her that her mom died right before trials ... but she accepted the penalty and vowed to not let it ruin her career.
"At the end of the day, I did make a mistake but that doesn't take away from my talent," Richardson said in 2021.
"It doesn't take away from who I am."
If Sha'Carri wins the semifinals on Saturday, she'll then compete for the individual Olympic gold medal later that day.