Sha’Carri Richardson delivered a sensational anchor leg to propel the United States to gold with a time of 41.78 seconds in a thrilling women’s 4x100m relay at the Paris Olympics on Friday, August 9.
The US team was in fourth place when Richardson received the baton, but her blistering speed secured the victory in dramatic fashion.
Gabby Thomas, the US third leg and 200m champion, praised Richardson’s performance, saying, “She is so fast. We know we’re in good hands as soon as she gets her hands on the baton.”
The race, which took place under rainy conditions that began just before the start, saw Great Britain, featuring Dina Asher-Smith, Imani Lansiquot, Amy Hunt, and Daryll Neita, finish in 41.85 seconds to claim silver—Great Britain’s best result in this event since 1956. Germany took bronze with a time of 41.97, marking the first time a unified German team medaled in this event since 1960. Defending champions Jamaica finished a surprising fifth, clocking 42.29 seconds.
Initially, there was some confusion as the scoreboard at Stade de France incorrectly showed Great Britain as the winners. Richardson, appearing perplexed by the order of finish, watched as the result was quickly corrected, confirming the US victory.
The American team had to battle through the race, with Melissa Jefferson handing off the baton in third, Twanisha Terry moving them up to second, and Richardson starting her anchor leg in fourth after receiving the baton from Thomas.
Despite a challenging final handoff that caused Richardson to momentarily lose momentum, she delivered a stunning 10.09-second leg to overtake the competition. Neita, running the final leg for Great Britain, clocked 10.33 seconds, while Germany’s Rebekka Haase finished her anchor leg in 10.46 seconds.
Reflecting on her race, Richardson said, “I just remember trusting my third leg, trusting Gabby, and knowing that she’s gonna put that stick in my hand no matter what, and to leave my best on the track.”
Great Britain, although slowed by a handoff between their second and third runners, celebrated their achievement of winning a third consecutive Olympic medal in the event.
Lansiquot, who ran Great Britain’s fastest leg in 10.13 seconds, expressed her pride, saying, “It’s been not just one year in the making, it’s been eight years in the making and it’s been bronze, bronze and we finally upgraded to silver. I can’t express how proud I am of these women. We came together. We got the job done. And when the heavens opened up, we still kept our heads and did it.”
The United States had shown strong form in the preliminaries, recording the fastest time of 41.94 seconds despite a challenging second handoff.
Great Britain also impressed in the heats, with a time of 42.03 seconds, the second-fastest in qualifying, bolstered by the same sprinters who had previously set the world-leading time of 41.55 in July.