Paris 2024 Olympics: Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson reach 4x100m final as Jamaica book spot without Shericka Jackson
Notably, the African powerhouses were nowhere to be seen in the relay heats, with South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya all failing to secure a spot in the final.
Sha’Carri Richardson’s slow start cost her gold in the 100-meter final, so much so that medaling at all was an achievement after she took .221 seconds to get out of the blocks.
That reaction time was the slowest of all eight runners and almost a full tenth behind eventual winner Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia, requiring Richardson to spend the duration of the race coming back.
She eventually did pass six other sprinters, but not Alfred, who romped to the island nation’s first medal by .15 seconds — the biggest margin in the event since 2008.
The silver medal, though, marked a major disappointment for the United States, as Richardson was favored to win gold and complete a redemption tale that started with her disqualification from the Tokyo Games over a positive result for THC three years ago.
The native of Dallas showed up in Paris looking to build on a gold medal from 2023 World Championships, but ultimately fell short.
