American sprint icon Justin Gatlin has expressed opitimism for a potential quartet of Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, Twanisha Terry and McKenzie Long for Team USA women’s 4x100m relay.
American sprinting legend Justin Gatlin has expressed excitement about a hypothetical Team USA 4x100m relay team featuring an all-star cast: reigning 100m World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson, 200m Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, and Olympians Twanisha Terry and McKenzie Long.
The idea took center stage during a recent episode of the Ready Set Go Podcast, where the former 100m world champion and co-host Rodney Greene welcomed McKenzie Long as their guest.
McKenzie Long, who reached the final of the women’s 200 meters at the Paris Olympic games, has explained how the sudden loss of her mom affected her season.
In a playful segment, Gatlin challenged Long to assemble her dream 4x100m relay team, with the stipulation that she automatically secured a spot.
“Since we’re talking about USA and the uniform, we play a game,” Gatlin teased. “You have to pick your dream 4x100m team, and you’re already on it. Pick three other people.”
Caught off guard, Long hesitated but eventually delivered her choices. “Okay, y’all, this is hard! Why y’all put me on the spot?” she said, laughing.
“I would probably put TeeTee (Twanisha Terry) first. Me second, Gabby (Thomas) third, and Sha’Carri (Richardson) last.”
Gatlin was impressed by her lineup, stating, “I like that one. I actually can see that really happening,” hinting at the group’s potential dominance on the track.
Long’s inclusion in such a high-profile conversation is well-deserved. The three-time NCAA champion secured her spot on Team USA for the 200m at the 2024 Paris Olympics after finishing third at the U.S. Olympic Trials, behind Thomas and Brittany Brown.
In Paris, Long showcased her talent by advancing to the 200m final, where she placed seventh.
Meanwhile, her hypothetical teammates Richardson, Thomas, and Terry teamed up with Melissa Jefferson in the 4x100m relay.
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Gatlin has sent Sha’Carri Richardson a crucial word of advice with regards to her infamously bad start, which cost her the Olympic 100m title to Julien Alfred.
The quartet delivered an electrifying performance, clocking 41.78 seconds to claim gold, a testament to Team USA’s sprinting prowess.
While the dream lineup is currently speculative, the idea of combining Richardson’s strong finish, Terry’s consistency, Thomas’s smooth transitions, and Long’s raw speed is undeniably enticing. As Gatlin aptly noted, this lineup isn’t just a dream, it’s a tantalizing possibility for the future.
