Sha'Carri Richardson and a deep 200m field take spotlight at Olympic trials (2024)

EUGENE, Ore. — All eyes, as usual, will be on Sha’Carri Richardson as she takes the track again for the women’s 200-meter portion of U.S. Olympic track and field trials, beginning Thursday night with preliminary heats. But after dazzling in the 100 meters, winning the national championship with a world-leading time of 10.71 seconds, Richardson isn’t considered the favorite in this event.

She’s the most tantalizing, for sure. She has the ability. What she’s shown already at these trials makes it feel possible for her to pull off the double. But the title of favorite, if anyone could claim it at these trials, would have to belong to Gabby Thomas.

She is the reigning Olympic bronze medalist and silver medalist in the world championships. She has been the most consistently formidable for America in the 200 meters. She has the most experience in this discipline and, at 27 years old, is in her prime.

Thomas’ personal best time of 21.60 seconds, from the 2023 USA outdoor championships, would be the American record if not for the mythical world-record mark of 21.34 seconds set by Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988.

Will anyone be better than Thomas by Saturday’s final? America’s depth in this discipline makes it interesting. There will be pressure to post some good times to advance and punch a ticket to Paris.

The sprinting prowess of American women is flexed in the 200 meters. If the USA is to break Jamaica’s dominance in the event, this could be the year — especially after the news that two-time defending gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah is out of contention for Paris.

Of the 10 fastest women to run the 200 this year, nine are Americans. Six will line up for the first round of the 200 on Thursday. None faster than McKenzie Long.

The Ole Miss sprinter burst onto the national scene at NCAAs. She ran a world-leading time of 21.83 seconds in the 200 at Hayward Field nearly three weeks ago. Long made it to the finals in the 100 meters at trials but didn’t qualify for Paris. But the 200 is her best event.

She’s new to this scene, so experience might be an issue. But she has all the tools and some intangibles. She wasn’t always a superstar. She had to work her way here, even transferred from North Carolina State to Ole Miss in the process of summoning her best. She’s driven. The death of her mother has provided a sense of purpose and focus. Long could be a breakout star in this event.

Oddly enough, so could Richardson.

She ran the 200 meters twice this year, both in April in China. She finished second in the first with a 22.99, followed by third a week later with a 23.11. Neither of those times comes close to qualifying for the top 50 in the world this year.

But she looks different now. She was dominant in her four 100-meter races since the showing in China. And Richardson does have some sub-22-second times under her belt. Days after her stunning win in the 100 at the 2023 world championships in August, Richardson ran a personal-best 21.92 in the 200 meters to finish third.

An American woman hasn’t won gold in the Olympics in the 200 meters since 2012, when Allyson Felix bested Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Felix’s win broke Jamaican Veronica Campbell Brown’s streak of back-to-back Olympic golds.

After Felix, Thompson-Herah took the crown back for Jamaica, winning gold in the 2016 and 2020 Games. But Thompson-Herah withdrew from the Jamaican Olympic trials, which start on June 27. She revealed on Instagram she sustained “a small tear on my Achilles tendon.”

It could be argued the 200-meter crown no longer belonged to her, anyway. The real threat from the Jamaican side is Shericka Jackson.

Jackson, like Richardson, hasn’t posted a time this year that would come close to the top 50. But she’s also the only woman besides Flo-Jo to run the 200 in under 21.50 seconds. Jackson posted a 21.41 in the 2023 world championships and afterward openly talked about breaking the world record someday.

She certainly has the ability. And Jamaica’s rivalry with the U.S. adds some fuel. As strong as the American women look in sprints, Jamaica might need Jackson to win gold in the 200 to save face. USA has a good chance at the 100 and the ever-competitive 4×100-meter relay. If Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone had run the 400 meters, America would probably win that, too. As it stands, Kendall Ellis is the American champion in the 400.

Now, the U.S. can claim a deep field in the 200. JaMeesia Ford from the University of South Carolina, who finished second to Long in the NCAAs, adds some intrigue to the mix. As does Jadyn Mays, who’s on her home track as a University of Oregon track star. They’re good enough to push better times out of America’s elite.

A peak-form Richardson makes this all the more interesting. She’s never been dominant in the 200 meters. But she is only 24 years old. She’s stronger and in peak conditioning at these trials. Her efficient form and closing speed makes her a threat whenever she steps on a track. And she’s motivated, a chip on her shoulder from missing the last Olympics.

Great talents can find it. Richardson is a great talent. As is Gabby Thomas. And McKenzie Long. It’s going to take special to beat each other. That’s certainly what it will take to beat Jackson and Jamaica.

(Top photo of Sha’Carri Richardson during the 100-meter competition at U.S. Olympic trials: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)

Marcus Thompson II is a lead columnist at The Athletic. He is a prominent voice in the Bay Area sports scene after 18 years with Bay Area News Group, including 10 seasons covering the Warriors and four as a columnist. Marcus is also the author of the best-selling biography "GOLDEN: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry." Follow Marcus on Twitter @thompsonscribe