They’re making the ancestors proud!
23-year-old Sha’Carri Richardson had an impressive year, winning 100m, 4x100m gold, and 200m bronze at worlds, NBC Sports reports. Her hard work has now paid off, with Richardson winning the USA Track and Field (USATF) Jackie Joyner-Kersee Woman Athlete of the Year award. This is a first for the young legend, Richardson also becoming the first woman who primarily runs the 100m to win the award since Carmelita Jeter in 2011.
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Noah Lyles also took home his third USATF Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year award, becoming the second man since Michael Johnson ever to win a USATF award three times. Lyles became a six-time world champion, sweeping the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m this past August, Olympics.com reports. The 26-year-old was previously named USATF Athlete of the Year in 2018 and 2022.
Honored to be winning my 3rd Jesse Owens US Athlete of the Year award! pic.twitter.com/wlro7lRMiR
— Noah Lyles, OLY (@LylesNoah) November 16, 2023
Richardson’s coach, Dennis Mitchell, is also receiving an award as Coach of the Year after guiding her to win double gold in Budapest. Richardson is now the only American among 11 other nominees for World Athletics’ Female Athlete of the Year, with Lyles among five other finalists for World Athletics Male Athlete of the Year.
Both Richardson and Lyles will be honored at the USATF Night of Legends ceremony on December 2nd, with the World Athletics Athletes of the Year expected to be announced on December 11th.
Cover photo: Sha’Carri Richardson & Noah Lyles Named 2023 USATF Athletes of the Year/Photo by Corbis/Getty Images