Richardson rallies U.S. 4×100 relay team to gold

SAINT-DENIS, France — Sha’Carri Richardson won her first Olympic gold medal Friday night, bringing the Americans from behind in the anchor lap to capture the 4×100-meter relay.

Richardson, the 100-meter silver medalist, overcame runners from Great Britain and Germany to help the U.S. finish in 41.78 seconds, good for a .07-second win over Great Britain, which struggled with two baton changes in the rain.

Gabby Thomas ran the third leg and got her second gold of the Games, this one going with the 200-meter title. Twanisha Terry and 100 bronze medalist Melissa Jefferson rounded out the team. The exchange between Terry and Thomas that nearly wrecked the Americans in qualifying was better this time.

Still, when Thomas handed off to Richardson, the U.S. was in third.

Richardson had to reel in Daryll Neita (Great Britain) and Rebekka Haase (Germany), and when she did, she flashed a look to her right — and backward — that said ″You’re not catching me.”

She sprinted eight more steps down the track, and, on her ninth, lifted her left leg high and stomped it on the other side of the finish line, then let out a scream.

It marked a sweet close to the Olympics for Richardson, who came into the Olympics as a favorite but surprisingly fell to Julien Alfred of St. Lucia.