Why Sha’Carri Richardson was arrested days before US Championships
Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 02.08.25. | 09:41
The controversy surfaced quietly, as she continued to compete in Eugene without acknowledging the arrest during her media appearances
US sprinting sensation Sha’Carri Richardson has found herself at the centre of yet another controversy, following reports that she was arrested for allegedly assaulting fellow sprinter and boyfriend Christian Coleman just days before the 2025 US Track and Field Championships in Oregon.
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Authorities in Washington State confirmed that the 25-year-old 100m world champion was taken into custody on the night of Sunday, 27 July, after an altercation with Coleman at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
According to a report by the Port of Seattle Police Department, the pair was caught on surveillance footage engaged in a heated verbal exchange after passing through a security checkpoint.
The report, shared with AFP, describes Richardson as “following and getting close to Coleman several times as Coleman appears to be trying to walk away.”
It further alleges that Richardson shoved Coleman into a nearby column and later pushed him again, forcefully enough to send him stumbling a few feet. She is also seen throwing a pair of headphones at him.
Despite the physical nature of the altercation, Coleman reportedly declined to participate in the police investigation and “declined to be a victim,” leading to no charges being filed on his behalf.
Richardson was arrested for fourth-degree domestic violence assault and spent close to 19 hours in custody at the SCORE South Correctional Facility in Des Moines, Washington, before being released on Monday, 28 July.
Richardson, who has been in a relationship with Coleman for over two years, though they only went public in February, has not publicly addressed the incident.
The controversy surfaced quietly, as she continued to compete in Eugene without acknowledging the arrest during her media appearances.
Initially, USA Track and Field (USATF) announced that Richardson had scratched from the remainder of the 100m competition and also withdrawn from Sunday’s 200m event. However, that decision was later reversed.
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“She initially told us she would not run in the 200m, but she never formally scratched. She has since informed us she will now enter the 200m,” a USATF spokesperson confirmed.
Richardson, who posted 11.07 seconds in the preliminary round of the women’s 100m on Thursday, had already secured her spot at the World Championships in Tokyo by being the reigning 100m world champion.
As such, she was under no obligation to participate in Eugene.
The incident adds to a growing list of controversies in Richardson’s career. In 2021, she missed the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for marijuana following the death of her biological mother.
Two years later, she was removed from an American Airlines flight after a dispute with a flight attendant.
While Richardson’s arrest remained under the radar during the opening days of the US Championships, the timing has cast a shadow over what should have been a celebration of her athletic prowess.
It also comes on a dramatic weekend for American sprinting, with men’s 100m world champion Noah Lyles and Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas both withdrawing from the remainder of the 100m to focus on the 200m event.
