Athletics
7 April, 2026
Richardson, Komolafe wow at Stawell Gift
American sprint sensation Sha’Carri Richardson demonstrated why she is one of the world’s best, winning the women's 2026 Stawell Gift from scratch at Central Park on Monday, April 6. Meanwhile, 21-year-old sprint sensation Olufemi Komolafe claimed victory in the men’s event.
In the 144th running of the Stawell Gift, Richardson chased down the entire field to become just the third woman to win the event from scratch.
Charlotte Nielsen ran from nine metres and led for most of the race, before Richardson passed her in the final stages to win the 120m event in 13.074 seconds.
Nielsen finished in 13.121 seconds, while Chiara Santiglia was third in 13.288 seconds.
Speaking with Jason Richardson after the race, the 2023 world 100m champion said she was confident she had the win towards the end of the race.
"I think I realised I was going to win right past 90 (metres)," Sha’Carri Richardson said.
The 26-year-old added that the Stawell Gift embodied the spirit of athletics.
"This is one of the most exciting, fun and entertaining track meets I've ever run in,” she said.
"The true love and support for track and field is unbeatable."
The final required a second start after teenager Grace Crowe false-started on the first attempt, meaning she had to then move a metre back in the field.
Richardson’s historic win nearly did not occur after the US star barely scraped through her semi-final.
After passing Halle Martin in the final stages of the sixth semi-final, Richardson eased up and started celebrating before the line, but luckily progressed by just 0.007 of a second.
Richardson joins Australian Olympians Bree Rizzo (2025) and Melissa Breen (2012) as the only scratch winners of the women’s event.
After dominating his heat and semi-final, Komolafe comfortably won the men's final in 12.025 seconds, ahead of backmarker Jake Ireland (12.171) and Dutch hurdler Liam van der Schaaf (12.192).
Running off five metres, the 21-year-old said he knew it would be a challenge against three-time finalist Ireland (off 4.5 metres), admitting he focused on his own running to get the win.
“Having him (Jake Ireland) just 0.5 metres back, I know he's such a fast runner, and I really wasn't expecting to have someone that close to me,” Komolafe said.
“It was really nerve-racking.
"Usually I’m trying to chase, but I just had to block all the noise out.”
Komolafe, who juggles studying for his medicine degree with sprinting, said it was an honour to make Stawell Gift history.
“I've been thinking about this ever since I started (sprinting) back in 2022,” he said.
“This is the ultimate gift, and I’ve won it now; it's an amazing feeling.”
Komolafe’s win marks the second straight year that a Paul Young-trained athlete has taken out the men’s gift, after John Evans won in 2025.
Young said the announcement of Sha’Carri Richardson and Komolafe’s idol Christian Coleman running at the gift served as motivation for the up-and-coming sprinter.
“It has been hard work, but when Christian Coleman was announced in early March, we announced it at training, and the (training) crew went, ‘Wow, Christian Coleman and Sha’Carri Richardson are coming’," Young said.
"There was a smile on his face, and he said ‘That’s my idol’, and I said ‘Komolafe v Coleman: let’s make it happen’.
“He’s been sensational since then, and it’s the greatest sporting moment of my life to win it twice in a row.”
Coleman was unable to match his US compatriot’s achievements, finishing sixth in his semi-final.
Semi-final one winner Brendan Matthews created history by becoming the first athlete to qualify for five Stawell Gift finals.
However, Matthews injured his hamstring on crossing the line and was unable to start the final.
In the weekend’s action, various local junior athletes competed across numerous events.
As well as competing in the in the women’s gift, Georgia Foster contested the women’s 70m and the under 18 100m, where she was placed seventh in the final.
In one of the last events of the weekend, Jett Hill had a stellar last lap to finish third in the Little Athletics 1600m event.
Indi Finn progressed to the final of the Little Athletics girls' 100m final, where she ran sixth.
