Sha'Carri Richardson Causes Health Concerns Ahead Of 100-Meter World Title Bid After Pulling Out Of Most Recent Race

Sha'Carri Richardson has never won a World Championship. This year is her best chance.

The 23-year-old American sprinter will head to Budapest next month as the undefeated favorite in the 100-meter flat. She qualified for the World Athletics Championships with a statement win during the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene earlier this month.

There are a lot of different ways to approach the weeks after Nationals ahead of Worlds. Some runners choose to take the entire month off and focus on training. Others try to run in every race possible.

Richardson leaned more toward the latter. She ran in Poland last weekend and used a strong comeback during the second 50 meters to out-sprint her rival and win.

A few days later, Sha'Carri Richardson's title bid got even more interesting with the return of the reigning champion.

It took another twist on Sunday in England.

Sha'Carri Richardson pulled out of her next race.

Richardson was set to run the 100-meter flat at the Diamond League Series in London. She was going to race against World No. 2 Shericka Jackson and Ivorian sprinter Marie Josée Ta Lou, who will compete for the podium next month.

However, about an hour before the race was to get underway, Richardson withdrew. Her hamstring wasn't feeling right.

Sha'Carri Richardson has withdrawn from the women's 100m this afternoon. In warm-up she had a sore hamstring and received treatment, however she has decided to withdraw as a precaution with the World Athletics Championships the priority.

Uh oh.

Fortunately, Richardson's injury doesn't sound serious. Her decision to pull out certainly seems precautionary on the surface.

Unfortunately, Richardson's injury comes less than a month before Worlds get underway. She will have four weeks to make sure that her hammy is at full strength before running in Budapest.

Women's 100-meter schedule at World Athletics Championships

Sha'Carri Richardson also qualified for Worlds in the 200-meter. It is unclear as to whether she will run her second event, but it is expected. That only makes things more complicated, considering that she will have to train both events— and then run both schedules upon arrival in Hungry.

If her hamstring is sore now, could it hinder her performance down the road? It's possible. Was it a good idea to have Richardson running as much as she is before Worlds? Only time will tell.

Hopefully, the injury is as minimal as it was made out to be. Hopefully, her decision withdraw is strictly preventative and nothing deeper comes from the soreness. Either way, for Sha'Carri Richardson to pull out because of an injury less than a month away from the World Championships is not ideal.