**SAINT-DENIS, France** – Sha’Carri Richardson has overcome numerous obstacles in her quest for Olympic glory, both self-imposed and beyond her control. After all the trials the American sprinter has faced over the past three years, it felt almost natural to receive the baton from her teammate Gabby Thomas while Team USA was positioned in third place during the women’s 4×100 meter relay final.
Winning races is what Richardson thrives on. With a nail-biting finish in the final leg at Stade de France, she managed to catch up to Germany’s Rebekka Haase and Great Britain’s Daryll Neita, securing her first Olympic gold medal. With just 40 meters to go, she surged past them, and at the finish line, she glanced to her right, looking her competitors in the eye—each now fully a step behind. Leaning forward, she crossed the finish line with a triumphant stride.
The 24-year-old sprinter from Dallas ran so fast that it took a moment for the scoreboard to catch up. The initial results on the massive video screen showed Great Britain crossing the finish line first, but Richardson, Thomas, Twanisha Terry, and Melissa Jefferson knew better. Once the error was corrected, and a “1” was displayed next to Team USA’s time of 41.78 seconds, Richardson’s long journey to the top of the podium was finally complete.
“It was an amazing feeling for all of us,” stated Richardson, especially as she arrived in Paris under immense pressure. When the Americans went to ring the victory bell in a corner of the stadium, Richardson was the last to approach, ringing the bell four times while letting out a long-awaited cheer of joy.
Just a week after surprising everyone with a silver medal behind Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred in the women’s 100 meter final, Richardson instead authored a golden chapter for her Games the day after a shaky baton exchange between Terry and Thomas in the qualifiers nearly cost Team USA the chance to win its third gold in the last four Olympics.
“We just looked at what we did yesterday, had a conversation among ourselves, and made the necessary adjustments,” Terry said. “But we still had confidence in each other, and that’s what we brought with us today.” Thomas, who ran the third leg, secured her second gold medal of the Games, adding to the one she earned in the 200 meters. However, conditions became significantly tougher during a brief rain shower that began just before the race, temporarily making the purple track slippery. This was part of the reason why Thomas’s exchange with Richardson was more cautious than ideal.
“Passing the baton to Sha’Carri is a very special and unique thing,” Thomas remarked. “She is so fast, and we know that we are in good hands as soon as she takes the baton.”