Sha'Carri Richardson claims she's 'better at being myself' three years on from Olympic ban for testing positive for weed as Team USA star graces cover of Vogue ahead of Paris 2024

US sprint sensation Sha'Carri Richardson insists she is now a amended type of herself - some connected and disconnected nan way - arsenic she prepares to spell for Olympic gold, 3 years aft her prohibition for drugs. 

Richardson is nan fastest female successful nan world and favourite to triumph nan 100m astatine this year's Games successful Paris.

The 24-year-old was denied nan chance to compete successful nan delayed Tokyo Olympics successful 2021, aft she was suspended from nan USA team. 

Richardson was tipped to triumph golden earlier she tested affirmative for THC, a chemic recovered successful marijuana. 

Amid nan ensuing scandal, nan sprinter said she utilized nan supplier to header pinch 'emotional panic', aft being told that her biologic mother had precocious died. 

Three years on, Richardson is on nan screen of Vogue magazine and she insists up of her Olympic debut that she has learned from past experiences. 

Her caller mantra is 'I’m not back, I’m better'. She told Vogue: 'I don’t conscionable mean I’m a amended runner... it’s beyond that. I’m amended astatine being Sha’Carri. I’m amended astatine being myself.'

She added: 'Most people, they only deliberation of way each 4 years. The Olympics, that’s each location is — those fewer seconds connected TV. 

'But for me, way is my life connected a day-to-day basis. Everything I do—what I eat, what I drink, if I enactment up excessively late—it’s each reflected connected nan track. Every choice. That’s what nan world doesn’t see.'

Richardson was raised by her grandma - known arsenic 'Big Momma' - and they would title from nan bottommost of nan elevation to nan car successful South Dallas. 

'She didn’t slow down, she didn’t fto maine win. And I deliberation it was successful 5th grade, nan time I touched nan car first. And that’s erstwhile I knew (I was special),' nan sprinter said.

'Every clip I measurement connected to nan track, I deliberation of each those moments erstwhile I was younger—all those feelings are still pinch me, I’m conscionable that small woman grown up.'

She added: 'It’s almost for illustration a flashback journey, everything that brought maine to that point. All nan grind, each nan sacrifice. And there’s a emotion of, this infinitesimal is typical because each of that, nan good, nan bad, it’s brought maine here. And I’m precisely wherever I’m expected to be.'