Eugene, Oregon - Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson launched her latest bid for a first World Championships berth with a world-leading 10.71 seconds in the 100-meter heats at the US athletics championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Thursday.

Richardson delivered a personal best to continue her strong start to a season highlighted by the World Championships in Budapest in August.

Richardson clocked in at 10.76 seconds at the Doha Diamond League meeting on May 5 – a month after a sensational 10.57 seconds at the Miramar Invitational in Florida in April, eventually converted to 10.77 seconds due to wind assistance.

On Thursday she improved on the previous world-leading time of the season of 10.75 seconds set by Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou at the Bislett Games on June 15.

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Richardson was infamously barred from the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after testing positive for marijuana.

She then saw her hopes of competing for a medal at last year's World Championships vanish when she bombed out of the US trials.

The 23-year-old, who said this season she is making up for lost time, didn't want to talk about her performance, preferring to remain focused with the semi-finals and final to come on Friday.

Only the top three finishers will secure a World Championships berth.

Richardson easily won her heat ahead of Brittany Brown, whose 10.96 was second-fastest overall. Tamara Clark posted the third-fastest time of 11.02.