Sha'Carri Richardson's Final Shot at Olympic Glory: Race Date Revealed

Sha’Carri Richardson’s performance in the qualifying round secured a spot for the U.S. team in Friday’s final.

PARIS, France — Sha’Carri Richardson might be adding another medal to her collection at her Olympic debut in Paris.

The celebrated sprinter is set to race for Team USA in the women’s 4x100m relay on Friday. Having already clinched a silver medal in the women’s 100-meter dash, this event marks her final race in Paris.

In a tense qualifying round, Richardson’s quick thinking averted disaster for the U.S. women’s team.

Richardson received the baton from Gabby Thomas, who nearly misconnected during her exchange with Twanisha Terry. This left Richardson trailing by three steps against Germany’s Rebekka Haase.

Defying the odds, Richardson surged ahead and finished first, clocking in at 41.94 seconds, just .19 seconds faster than the Germans.

Despite entering the qualifiers with a stacked lineup, a mishap could have spelled doom for the U.S. women. Thomas’s premature start on the third leg almost nullified their advantage as she had to slow down to accept the baton from Terry.

The 4×100-meter relay final is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 9 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern. While Richardson is expected to run, the official lineup will be announced only shortly before the race.

Richardson had only one shot at an individual Olympic medal in the 100-meter dash as she did not qualify for the 200-meter race during the trials earlier this summer.

In a memorable race, 24-year-old Richardson was defeated by Julien Alfred, who won Saint Lucia its first-ever Olympic medal. Alfred had an impressive start and finished .15 seconds ahead of Richardson, a substantial lead marking the largest margin in the women’s Olympic 100 since 2008.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report. —