Sha’Carri Richardson looked to her right to confirm her position as the winner of the women’s 4X100 relay at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, just before she crossed the finish line. Indeed, she was. At a time of 41.78 seconds, Team USA won the gold medal for the third time in the previous four Olympic Games, with Richardson running the final leg. Richardson’s glance over her right shoulder, which went viral on social media, earned her the nickname “Sha’Carri Stare.”
“Honestly, that look over, if I had to just highlight anything, the look over was-it’s almost like it was a mirror on that side of me, and I’m just looking at a version of myself that nobody but me could see, if that makes sense,” Richardson stated in a Refinery 29 interview. “After glancing over, I suddenly realized that I was not going to let anyone, not even myself, stand in front of me, regardless of what was happening. I know that seems insane, but I had to give it my all on the track because I felt like I was the biggest contender in that lane.”There’s no way that I’m not going to leave my best on the track,” was all I could think.
Thus, by glancing over, it was more about demonstrating that the labor-intensive effort that each and every one of us women in that 4X100 made would not go to waste. “I refused to even consider the possibility of failing to cross the finish line first, earning a medal, and disappointing the women and their unwavering support when it came to our Team USA victory.” When colleague Gabby Thomas handed Richardson the baton, she wasn’t leading, but in a split of 10.09 seconds, she easily beat silver-medalist Great Britain and bronze-medalist Germany to the finish line. The 24-year-old took home two medals from her time in Paris: a silver one in the women’s 100-meter dash and a gold one in the women’s 4X100.
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