Atlanta native Gabby Thomas won her second gold medal of the Paris Olympics in the women’s 4×100-meter relay.
After losing some ground from a shaky baton handoff, the American women pulled through, helped by an end blitz from anchor leg Sha’Carri Richardson.
Richardson, turning her head to scope the competition, found herself so far ahead she was alone. That look — one that said, “Fine, I’m leaving without you” or “Is that all you’ve got?” — was quickly minted as a meme on social media.
The win continues Team USA’s dominant showing, especially in track and field, at the Paris Olympics. This is Thomas’ second gold of the 2024 Olympics, her first being in the women’s 200-meter final.
Richardson, Thomas, Twanisha Terry and Melissa Jefferson covered the lap around the Stade de France track in 41.78 seconds, a season-best time, even after the iffy Thomas-to-Richardson baton pass-off.
“When we won as USA ladies it was an honor for all of us,” Richardson, who won the silver medal in the 100-meter sprint earlier in the week. “I remember trusting my third leg, trusting Gabby, knowing she was going to put that stick in my hand no matter what, and to leave my best on the track.”
Great Britain, came in second, and Germany third.
Jamaica’s team, who not so long ago stood as the U.S. team’s stiffest competition, came in sixth. Three of their sprint superstars either missed or dropped out of the Paris Games due to injury.
The U.S. men fumble the handoff
In the men’s race, the U.S. — after initially placing fifth — was disqualified after botching their first handoff, when Atlanta native Christian Coleman passed to Kenny Bednarek. Fred Kerley, as anchor, and Kyree King rounded out the team.
A day ago, the team learned that it would have to run without its best asset, newly minted 100-meter champion Noah Lyles. After finishing with bronze in his best event, the 200-meter sprint on Thursday, Lyles revealed that he had COVID-19.
Canada won gold, South Africa took silver and Great Britain won bronze.
U.S. men, clearly angered and frustrated by their performance, spoke briefly with reporters after the race. “We had the mindset of no risk, no reward,” King said. “We went out there and went big and it didn’t happen.”
Asked about the apparent mistiming of a key handoff, the men said they wouldn’t talk about individual missteps that might have cost them the race.
The U.S. teams are notorious for fumbling relay handoffs. At the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, a Team USA handoff disqualification in the 4×400-meter mixed-gender relay almost cost the team a medal. Ultimately, the ruling was overturned, and the team took home bronze.
At the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016, the women’s 4×100-meter relay team successfully overturned a DQ after arguing that other runners forced a baton drop.
NPR’s Brian Mann contributed reporting from Saint-Denis, France.
WABE’s Meimei Xu contributed reporting.
