Sha’Carri Richardson captured her first Olympic gold medal on Friday, anchoring the U.S. to victory in the women’s 4×100-meter relay at the Paris Games. Her performance in the final leg secured a .07-second win over Britain, marking a golden conclusion to Richardson’s Olympic journey.
It was raining during the race, but despite the elements causing the batons to be slick, the U.S. relay team executed smooth exchanges, setting the stage for Richardson’s remarkable anchor leg. Receiving the baton from Gabby Thomas in third place, Richardson quickly gained ground on the runners from Britain and Germany. By the halfway point, she had taken the lead. Richardson crossed the finish line in 41.78 seconds.
“It was a phenomenal feeling for all of us,” Richardson said after the race, via ESPN News Services.
For Richardson, this gold medal was especially meaningful, coming on the heels of a second-place finish in the women’s 100-meter final earlier in the Games. The win also marked a redemption of sorts for the U.S. team, which had faced a near-disastrous baton exchange in the qualifying rounds.
Richardson missed the Tokyo Games in 2021 despite qualifying for the 100m after the United States Anti-Doping Agency declared her competitive results at the U.S. Olympic Trials, medals, points and prizes disqualified after a failed drug test stemming from cannabis use.
Richard had to take a required one-month period of ineligibility, as well as undergo a counseling program for her cannabis use. She finally got to make her Olympic debut in 2024.
Sha’Carri Richardson describes ‘phenomenal’ feeling of winning gold
Thomas, who ran the third leg of the relay and handed off to Richardson, also spoke on the moment.
“Passing the baton to Sha’Carri is a very special and unique thing,” Thomas said. “She’s so fast, and we know we’re in good hands as soon as she gets her hands on the baton.”
The relay team, comprised of Twanisha Terry, Melissa Jefferson, Thomas and Richardson, delivered a flawless performance. The exchange between Terry and Thomas, which had been shaky in the qualifying round, was executed perfectly in the final, allowing the U.S. to claim its third gold medal in the event over the last four Olympics.
“We just looked at what we did yesterday, had a talk amongst each other, then make the necessary corrections going in,” Terry said, as reported by Will Graves of The Associated Press. “But we still had trust and confidence in one another. And that’s what we’ve brought out here today.”
Reflecting on the team’s journey and her own, Richardson said, “The moment that I would describe is realizing that when we won as USA ladies, it was a phenomenal feeling for all of us.”
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