Superstar sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson has safely progressed to the Stawell Gift final after winning her heat on Saturday afternoon.

The silver medallist in the 100m at the Paris Games started from scratch, but easily mowed down the field to hit the front and then pull up with victory secured.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Richardson storms to victory

The performance had the crowd at Central Park in Ballarat buzzing.

“Oh my gosh, my experience so far is just reminding me what track and field feels like. Love the respect and also fun. I’m having a lot of fun out here with everybody,” she told 7plus after the 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, it was like, OK, knocking the dust off.

“But chasing everyone actually made me activate and work on my race pattern. So it was a good first race.”

STAWELL GIFT Watch Monday’s coverage live and free on 7plus

Richardson, who won gold as a member of USA’s 4x100m relay team in Paris, is bidding to become just the third woman in history to win the unique 120m handicap race off scratch.

Coincidentally, she was being interviewed by one of the two to have done it in Bree Rizzo (née Masters).

“Sitting here talking to you, a little advice you gave me yesterday, a little cheat code, sorry. But I feel very confident in being number three,” she said.

Richardson will return to the track on Monday for the semi-finals and potentially the final.

Meanwhile, Richardson’s boyfriend and fellow sprinter Christian Coleman also progressed through to Monday’s semi-final, but only just won his heat.

Coleman, who is also starting from scratch, reeled in frontmarker John Howe on the line.

“It feels amazing, we’ve been here all week having some incredible experiences, all the people and all the fans have been nice and I’m excited,” he told 7plus.

Richardson is one of track and field’s biggest stars - the fifth-fastest woman over 100m and the 2023 world champion, also winning gold at the Paris Olympics in the 4x100m relay and silver in the 100m.

Coleman won the 100m world title in 2019 and holds the 60m world record.

Running off 9m, Charlotte Nielsen posted the fastest women’s time with her 13.32 heat win - although Richardson clearly would have gone faster if needed.

Olufemi Komolafe posted the fastest men’s time of 12.110 off 5m.

The semi-finals and finals of the grass handicap event will be run on Easter Monday. Only two men and two women have won the Gift off scratch.

- With AAP