Global sprint superstar Sha’Carri Richardson has repaid her star billing in spectacular fashion, overcoming a heart-stopping semi-final scare to storm home from scratch and win the women’s Stawell Gift on Easter Monday.
In front of a packed Central Park in Western Victoria, Richardson gave her rivals up to nine metres’ head start and still proved too strong, charging to victory in 13.15 seconds to become just the third woman in history to win the prestigious 120m handicap race from scratch.
“Sha’Carri’s running her down, running her down, it’s so close … she’s got up! She’s come from the clouds,” Bruce McAvaney said on Channel 7.
“It’s one of the moments we will never forget. Stawell has its most famous winner ever.
“It’s epic, iconic, the stuff of legends. I’m tingling. It’s extraordinary, what she did.
“We are never, ever going to forget what we just saw.”
But the win was anything but a straightforward one.
Just hours earlier, organisers were sweating as the American Olympic and world champion nearly crashed out in the semi-finals.
After taking time to reel in the field, Richardson edged Ballarat runner Halle Martin by the barest of margins — just 0.007 seconds — and even eased up before the line in a moment that almost cost her a place in the final.
“I keep doing that,” Richardson admitted post-race of her tendency to ease off late. “We’re working on that … but running through the line for sure come finals.”
She clearly learned her lesson.
When it mattered most, Richardson left nothing to chance — powering through the line in the decider to cap one of the grittiest wins of her career.
Richardson’s triumph is a major coup for the Stawell Gift, which pulled off a recruitment masterstroke just to get her to regional Victoria.
The push was spearheaded by former Gift winner Jason Richardson, who helped lure the American star — along with partner Christian Coleman — to the historic meet after Australian drawcards were unavailable due to scheduling clashes.
What began as a longshot pitch turned into a global PR win, with Richardson sharing her Stawell experience to millions of followers and drawing international attention to the iconic race.
While Richardson soared, Coleman couldn’t replicate the magic in the men’s event. Also running from scratch, the 2019 world champion was eliminated in the semi-finals after failing to make up ground on runners with big handicaps.
“It’s tough, running on grass, giving that much of a margin,” Coleman said. “These guys are no slouches.”
The men’s race also delivered high drama for veteran Aussie Brendan Matthews, who booked a record fifth Stawell Gift final appearance — but at a cost.
The 35-year-old edged through his semi-final with a desperate dip at the line before appearing to tear his hamstring and collapsing on the turf.
“Agony and ecstasy,” Matthews said. “I felt it go … we’ll see how we go.”
Richardson’s victory may not top her Olympic or world championship titles, but given the unique challenge of the Stawell Gift — grass surface, handicap start, and unfamiliar race dynamics — it stands as one of her most hard-earned triumphs.
Australian Olufemi Komolafe narrowly edged the men’s final ahead of Jake Ireland and Dutch hurdler Liam van der Schaaf.
