Richardson, US women win gold in 4×100 meter relay

SAINT-DENIS, France — Sha’Carri Richardson took over and ran as if the track owed her a gold medal.

As anchor of the women’s 4×100 relay, she didn’t have to worry about getting out of the starting blocks fast enough. With the elite of American sprinters — Melissa Jefferson passing the ball to Twanisha Terry, who passed the ball to Gabby Thomas — you wouldn’t think she’d have to come from behind.

But on this rainy Friday night at the Stade de France, Richardson still had some work to do.

Run, Sha’Carri. Run.

“I remember relying on my third leg, on Gabby, knowing that she was going to put that stick in my hand no matter what,” Richardson said.

She was in fourth place with 90 meters to go when she had the baton in her hands alone. She sped past France. At 60 meters she had tied Germany. With 20 meters to go she knew she was home.

“It’s obviously incredible to hand it over to Sha’Carri,” said Thomas, who also won gold in the 200 meters. “You know she’s going to get the job done no matter where we are in the race. There’s nothing more rewarding than watching her run down the track and win the race for us.”

Richardson claimed her first Olympic gold medal with an anchor leg of 10.09 seconds. After taking silver in Tokyo, the U.S. finished in 41.78 seconds to reclaim the women’s 4×100-meter relay title. The U.S. has now won three of the last four Olympic one-lap relays.

HERE COMES SHA’CARRI RICHARDSON!

Team USA wins GOLD in the women’s 4x100m. #Olympic Games in Paris

📺 NBC & Pauw photo.twitter.com/ZM6qaYCQOw

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024

This was America’s third consecutive major international championship, including the 2022 and 2023 World Championship victories. It underscored the United States’ dominant performance in the women’s sprints.

In Paris, the American women won gold and bronze in the 200 meters, silver and bronze in the 100 meters, gold and silver in the 400 meters hurdles and now gold in the relay. America still has three athletes in the 100 meters hurdles: Masai Russell, Alaysha Johnson and Grace Stark.

The women’s 4x100m relay is normally a fierce rivalry with the Jamaicans. But their best sprinters were unavailable. Elaine Thompson-Herah announced in June that she would not be competing at the Olympics due to injury. Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce both withdrew late after arriving in Paris.

But as Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred proved in the 100 meters — Richardson stunned in her Olympic final debut — the global field of sprinters is too formidable to sleep on. The Americans didn’t sleep.

Jefferson, who opened the 2022 world championships, did not get the start she wanted. But her time of 11.46 seconds was the third-fastest of the opening stages. Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith (11.02) gave her country the early lead.

“I know when it comes to the second stage,” Terry said, “nobody can run the second stage as well as I can.”

The one they call “Tee Tee” flew indeed. Her 9.98 second leg made up for some. But she wasn’t the only one. Gemima Joseph from France also ran a 9.98 in the second leg.

That put pressure on Thomas.

The handover between Terry and Thomas was a bit slow. But Thomas ate the turn (10.25). Although Gina Lueckenkemper from Germany had a blazing 9.89, the job was done. They handed the baton to Richardson with a chance.

Terry said the less-than-perfect handoff between her and Thomas affected the final exchange. Richardson had to back off a bit and make sure she had full control of the stick. Once she had that, it was all on her shoulders.

“She just did what Sha’Carri did,” Terry said. “Stay patient and show her top speed.”

Richardson screamed as he crossed the finish line, having snatched gold from the clutches of silver. That was what she thought, until she looked at the scoreboard. It showed “Great Britain” in first place.

She knew it couldn’t be good. She took the baton and ran like the track owed her a gold medal. She knew she was on fire tonight at Stade de France. She knew she wasn’t beaten.

She stared at the scoreboard, knowing something was wrong. Then it went blank. Normally, the unofficial order flashes on the screen first. When the official times come in, that list disappears and the video board replays the order one by one. Richardson stared at the blue screen, waiting for the official word. It just had to match what her legs were telling her. A few seconds felt like minutes.

United States.

Richardson screamed at the screen. She tensed at the thought of not winning. She knew what she had done. She ended her first Olympics well. Just like Sha’Carri.

And at the end of the night, she reminded the world how long the journey had been. These Olympics were a microcosm of the 24-year-old’s rollercoaster ride to this moment. The highs and the lows. The thrills of victory and the heartbreak. She knows what it’s like to not get it done. To be singled out by the brutality of a sprint race.

She knows what it’s like to be on top and untouchable.

Now she knows what it’s like to be an Olympic gold medalist. Standing on the podium in front of fellow superstar Thomas, the reality of what it took to get here hit her. And tears streamed down her face.

Required reading

(Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images)