The World Athletics Championships 2023 will be held in Budapest from August 19 to 27.
The women’s 100m sprint is one of the most highly anticipated events in the Hungarian capital. Here are the top three contenders for the gold medal in Budapest:
Sha’Carri Richardson (USA)
Sha’Carri Richardson is an American sprinter who hails from Dallas, Texas. She set a new U-20 world record in women’s 100m sprint at 2019 NCAA Championships with a timing of 10.75s.
She qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics with a 10.86s timing at the US trials. However, she was excluded from the squad after testing positive for cannabis.
After missing out on last year’s edition, Richardson will make her World Championships debut this year in Budapest. This season, she has won the Diamond League meetings in Doha and Silesia.
Personal Best: 10.71s
Season’s Best: 10.71s
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica)
FILE PHOTO: Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is a two-time Olympic gold medallist and a five-time world champion in women’s 100m sprint. The 36-year-old from Jamaica is nicknamed ‘Pocket Rocket’ for her short stature and explosive starts.
Her fourth and fifth world championships titles in 2019 and 2022, respectively came after giving birth to her son Zyon.
In 2023, she has competed only in two races - in Luzern and Madrid - and won both with respective timings of 10.82s and 10.83s.
Personal Best: 10:60s (the third fastest time ever)
Season’s Best: 10.82s
Shericka Jackson (Jamaica)
FILE PHOTO: Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson. | Photo Credit: AP
Shericka Jackson is the reigning Olympic bronze medallist and world championships silver medallist in the 100m. The 29-year-old from Saint Ann, Jamaica, is a bigger threat in the 200m sprint but has shown this year how much she has improved in the shortest distance as well.
In 2023, she has competed in four Diamond League meetings and twice finished second and third. She set the fastest time of the season - 10.65s - at the Jamaican Championships in July.
Personal Best: 10.65s
Season’s Best: 10.65s
An upset is always a possibility in a sprint event. Here’s an athlete who could prove to be the dark horse:-
Marie-Josee Ta Lou (Ivory Coast)
FILE PHOTO: Marie-Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
At the age of 34, Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou is having the season of her life. She is the leading athlete in women’s 100m in the current Diamond League season after winning the meetings in Florence, Oslo, Lausanne and London.
She has won a silver and a bronze medal in 100m at World Championships previously while also finishing fourth at the last two Olympics.
Personal Best: 10.72s
Season’s Best: 10.75s
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