’24 Paris Olympian Sha’Carri Richardson showcased in a Sundance Film

Sundance Film Festival in Park City where Paris Olympian USA runner Sha'Carri Richardson had a film debut. Photo: Sundance // Maya Dehlin

PARIS — Sha’Carri Richardson’s sports celebrity spilled over into the entertainment world and smack-dab into Park City when she was the star of a Sundance Film Festival film in 2022.

The short entitled “Sub Eleven Seconds” had apt nomenclature as the Team USA runner crossed the finish line in the Paris 2024 Olympics on Friday in the prelims of the 100 meter dash in 10.94 seconds.

The 24-year-old from Texas ran in heat number one, in hour number one, on day number one, and finished in position number one in these, her Olympic Games number one. She easily advanced. 

Richardson was unable to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to a positive drug test for marijuana. This occurred shortly after she won the US Olympic Trials, where she set a personal best time of 10.86 seconds in the 100-meter dash.

The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) imposed a one-month ban on Richardson, preventing her from competing in Tokyo. The ruling sparked controversy, with many arguing her punishment was too harsh, especially considering marijuana is legal in some US states and is not considered a performance-enhancing drug in track and field.

Sub Eleven Seconds is a rumination on time, loss, and hope. It’s a poetic imagining of Richardson’s quest to achieve her then dream of qualifying for the Olympic Games.

She runs in the next rounds, then perhaps for a medal on Saturday, Aug. 3.