Sha’Carri Richardson Thanked Her Girlfriend After Making Olympic Team

Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson just won a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team with a dominant win in the 100-meter women's sprint event at the Olympic track and field trials in Oregon over the weekend, but it was her rainbow tweet and orange hair that really set social media aflame.

The colorfully coiffed Richardson posted a rainbow emoji to Twitter and thanked her girlfriend for the hair color choice on Friday. After the race, Richardson also revealed that her biological mother had passed away in the past week, and she thanked her grandmother and family for raising her and keeping her grounded.

"My girlfriend actually picked my color," Richardson told USA Today on Friday. "She said it like spoke to her, the fact that it was just so loud and vibrant, and that's who I am."

Richardson is a rising star in track and field. In addition to her dominant performances on the track, she is also known for her vibrant hair color choices. She's been fairly tightlipped about her personal life, but she appeared to open up in recent days. Saturday morning, she even posted a rainbow emoji to Twitter.

One user took a screenshot of a TikTok Richardson posted where she mentions her girlfriend, although it is unclear if her girlfriend chose the bright blue hair she was sporting in the video.

After her semifinal win on Saturday, Richardson said she just wanted to let the world know that she was "THAT girl" who was never going to quit until she realized her dreams.

Immediately after winning the race, Richardson sprinted into the stands to tearfully embrace her grandmother and other family members in attendance. Moments later. Richardson revealed she had run the race with a heavy heart as her biological mother had passed away the previous week. While it was emotionally difficult to run the race, Richardson gave thanks to her grandmother and family for raising and being there for her throughout her life.

"I'm highly grateful for them," Richardson said in an at-times emotional interview with NBC Sports. "Without them, there would be no me. Without my grandmother, there would be no Sha'Carri Richardson. My family is my everything, my everything until the day I'm done."

You can watch Richardson's victory and post-race interviews at NBC Sports.

RELATED | These Two Olympic Competitors Just Got Engaged