Gabby Thomas’ voice automatically sends me into a place of determination” – Sha’Carri Richardson weighs in on the Olympian’s impact at Paris Olympics

Sha’Carri Richardson recently talked about how her fast anchor leg of the 4×100-meter relay helped her win the 2024 Paris Olympics thanks to Gabby Thomas’s encouragement. She claimed that Thomas’ voice keeps her resolve. Richardson recently ended the Summer Games with gold in the 4x100m relay and silver in the solo 100m.

Following her victory in the 100m at the 2023 World Championships, Richardson ran the same distance in 10.87 seconds to finish second in the Olympics in Paris, just behind sprinter Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia.Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry, Gabby Thomas, and Sha’Carri Richardson were on the US women’s squad. This squad wanted to continue winning in the 4x100m relay in Paris after taking home gold at the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 World Athletics Relays. Team US recorded a time of 41.78 seconds when Richardson, who won her first gold of the competition, ran the anchor leg.

Sha’Carri Richardson discussed how Gabby Thomas supported her during the 4×100-meter relay in an interview with Refinery29. The 24-year-old claimed that while she sprinted to the finish line, all of her attention was on Thomas’ voice.

“Gabby is the only one I hear. I can’t hear it if it’s not her voice. The rest is all a blur. Whenever I hear Gabby’s voice, I instantly feel determined and like I know what time it is,” Richardson remarked.

“I know she did her part,” she continued. She is starting to trust me. She is starting to trust me now. She is now anticipating my arrival. She has every right to keep transferring that energy and that pace that we did since she did what she could to persuade me to enter a new phase. She then gives the stick to me. “Stick!” exclaims her. I’m given the stick. And she says, “Go! Go!” to me. Even after instructing me to get the stick, she doesn’t stop. She is supporting me as I go along the path.”

“You have it all, my love: class, elegance, faith, and beauty,” Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s husband writes in a touching letter to the sprinter after Paris by 2024

In the 4×100-meter relay, Gabby Thomas enjoys passing the baton to Sha’Carri Richardson.

Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson ran the third and last legs, respectively, at the 2023 World Championships, where they were teammates prior to the Paris Games. Recently, Thomas talked candidly about handing the torch to the Olympic silver medallist in the 100 meters and his confidence in Richardson’s ability to lead the US squad.

“Sha’Carri receiving the baton is a very significant and unusual occasion. As soon as she grabs the baton, we know we’re in excellent hands since she is so quick,” Thomas remarked (via The Mirror).

Gabby Thomas won three gold medals in the Olympics in Paris: one each in the 200-meter individual event, the 4×400-meter relay, and the 4×100-meter relay. She is now among the 2024 Olympians with the most medals thanks to her accomplishment.