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04/04 02:11 CDT US sprinters Richardson and Coleman advance to the Stawell Gift
semifinals in Australia
US sprinters Richardson and Coleman advance to the Stawell Gift semifinals in
Australia
STAWELL, Australia (AP) --- American sprinters Sha'Carri Richardson and
Christian Coleman won their heats Saturday and qualified for Monday's
semifinals of the Stawell Gift, an annual race contested on handicap over 120
meters on grass in a small Australian town near Melbourne.
Both Richardson and Coleman are racing from "scratch" in the 144th edition of
the event, meaning they must run the entire distance and chase down opponents
who in some cases may start up to 25 meters ahead of them.
Richardson, who gave away 10 meters to her closest competitor at the start, won
her heat in 13.815 seconds Saturday and Coleman his in 12.681.
On Monday there will be six semifinals in each of the men's and women's
divisions, with the winners of each of the heats advancing to the respective
finals. Only two men and two women have won the race starting from scratch.
"My experience so far is just reminding me what track and field feels like ---
love the respect and also fun," Richardson told Seven Network television after
her heat.
"It felt like being a kid again, playing tag, like playing rabbit. I had a
great time, and it just kind of woke my body up with this being the first time
running in 2026 . . . chasing everyone actually made me activate and work on my
race pattern."
Richardson is one of the fastest women of all time, winning a silver medal in
the 100 meters in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and gold in the 4x100 relay that
same year.
Coleman is a former world champion over 100 meters. He and Richardson appear to
have continued their relationship despite a domestic violence charge against
Richardson last July.
There are more than 700 competitors in the Stawell race, including many of
Australia's top runners, in the event held about 235 kilometers (145 miles)
west of Melbourne. The men's and women's finals each carry a prize of 40,000
Australian dollars ($27,500).
It has not been disclosed whether Richardson or Coleman have been paid
appearance money to take part in the race. Last year Australian media reported
that top Australian sprinter Gout Gout was paid 50,000 Australian dollars
(35,000) to run at Stawell, where he was eliminated in the semifinals.
Richardson said this week that she was excited about the handicap format.
"I've been known to be a chaser in a couple of races, so actually the challenge
of the stagger makes me more technical and sound, and with that comes great
results," she said in comments on the Australian Athletics website.
Coleman, known for its fast starts, said he's the opposite.
"I'm usually leading from the front and people are trying to come catch me. I
feel that this will be the perfect start to the season, to have some fun, but
also be able to work on the things I have been practicing," he said.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
