Richardson, whose victory at the 2021 Olympic Trials was cancelled after he tested positive for marijuana, is the initial favorite to win the tournament that begins Aug. 2 in Paris against Jefferson and a strong field of Jamaican players.
“I'm honored,” Richardson said. “I feel like everything I've been through in my life has prepared me for this moment.”
A win in France would be Richardson's second Olympic gold medal, after the one he won at last year's world championships, and make him one to watch as a sprinter heading into 2024.
On Saturday, reigning world champion Noah Lyles ran the 100-meter heat in 9.92 seconds, the fastest time in the first round of men's qualifying.
With her orange hair flying, lighting up Hayward Field here in 2021, Richardson presented herself as someone new, better and more in tune with who she was before she looked like the sport's breakout star.
Behind the glamour was a hidden battle with depression brought on by the death of his mother.
She stayed home during the Olympics and began training on and off the track. Last year, she won the national championships, proclaiming, “I'm not back, I'm better,” and backed it up by winning the world title a month later.
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
