'The stuff of legends': US superstar Sha'Carri Richardson conquers Stawell Gift off scratch

Sha'Carri Richardson came, the American superstar saw, and in breathtaking scenes at Australia's modest but iconic Stawell Gift, she conquered.

The Olympic gold medallist and former 100-metre world champion carved out an oh-so-special slice of Stawell Gift history on Easter Monday, becoming just the third athlete in the event's 144-year history to win the women's 120-metre race off scratch.

High on life, she bounced around flexing her supremely athletic arms on the grass at Central Park. She then spotted her partner Christian Coleman — also a former 100m world champion — and leapt into his arms.

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Moments earlier, Coleman had failed to reach the final of the men's 120m. He, too, was running off scratch — that is, he had to run the full 120m — and he couldn't make up the ground.

The men's 120m final was won by Olufemi Komolafe, a medical student from Adelaide.

Richardson gave her five competitors in the final head starts of up to 10 metres, but in a glorious run she stormed home to win in 13.074 seconds — the fastest time ever recorded by a woman over the 120m distance at the Stawell Gift.

Local hope Charlotte Nielsen, 19, finished second in 13.121 seconds. The teenager had a nine-metre head start on Richardson but the superstar import caught her in her final strides.

"Stawell has its most famous winner ever," legendary commentator Bruce McAvaney said on Seven.

"It's epic. Iconic. The stuff of legends.

"I'm tingling."

At what point did she realise she'd win?

"Umm," she said with her priceless Texan twang, "I think I realised I was gonna win right past 90m."

Richardson was in awe of the Stawell Gift, hailing "the true love and support for track and field".

Earlier, she may have caused heart attacks at Central Park in country Victoria and in living rooms across Australia.

So close was the call in her semi-final heat that Australian middle-distance running great Tamsyn Manou admitted her heart had done something funny.

And Manou was not alone.

"Oh my goodness, Sha'Carri," Manou said on the broadcast.

"Please make sure you run through the line [in the final] because you gave us a heart attack there."

Indeed, Richardson did not "run through the line" in the sixth and final heat of the semi-finals. She didn't appear to be in a hurry over the closing metres and crossed the line upright, instead of dipping. McAvaney even noted on the broadcast that she may have been leaning backwards.

The difference between Richardson and the second-placed Halle Martin? About the width of one of those diamond studs in the American sensation's ears. Martin had a 10-metre head start on the American.

Only the winners of each of the semi-final heats advanced to the final.

"It's absolutely drama at its highest," McAvaney said.

"I keep doing that," Richardson said of her sleepy finish.

"But me and my coach are working on it. [I'll be] running through the line, for sure, come finals."

Some may be wondering why Richardson was given the semi-final win and not Martin, who reached the line first by extending her neck.

It's because the marker is from the hips through to the top of the chest, and Richardson reached the line first according to that marker.

The women's 120m final has been won off scratch two years in a row.

Last year, Australian Olympian Bree Rizzo (née Masters) claimed the title off scratch to join her husband, Matt Rizzo, as a Stawell Gift champion.