Sanya Richards-Ross

Sanya Richards-Ross

Richards-Ross during the 2010 Weltklasse Zürich
Personal information
Nationality	United States
Born	February 26, 1985 (1985-02-26) Kingston, Jamaica
Residence	Austin, Texas
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight	136 lb (62 kg)
Sport
Sport	Running
Event(s)	400 m
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	400m: 48.70 (2006, AR)
Medal record Women's athletics Competitor for the United States Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing 4×400 m relay Bronze 2008 Beijing 400 m World Championships Gold 2003 Paris 4×400 m relay Gold 2007 Osaka 4×400 m relay Gold 2009 Berlin 400 m Gold 2009 Berlin 4×400 m relay Gold 2011 Daegu 4×400 m relay Silver 2005 Helsinki 400 m

Sanya Richards-Ross (born February 26, 1985) is a track and field athlete who competes internationally for the United States. She won an Olympic gold medal in the 4×400 meters relay at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, an individual bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics for the 400 m, and a gold medal in the 2009 World Championships in Berlin in the 400 meters race.

Career

Richards left Jamaica for the USA at the age of 12 and became a US citizen in May 2002. At St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, she lettered in Track and Field in high school and is a member of the National Honor Society, ending her high school academic career with a 4.0 grade point average. In 2002 she was named National High School Female Athlete of the Year, USA Track and Field's Youth Athlete of the Year, and Track and Field News Women's Prep Athlete of the Year.

At the Athens Olympics in 2004, Richards was part of the US team which finished first in the 4×400 meters relay. They were however stripped of the gold medals in 2010 after Crystal Cox, another team member, admitted to using doping.

She has won a silver medal in the 400 meters at 2005 World Championships in Athletics. In 2006, together with Jeremy Wariner (400 m) and Asafa Powell (100 m) she won her sixth out of six IAAF Golden League events (100 m) in the same season, which earned her a total of $250,000. She broke Valerie Brisco-Hooks' US record of 48.83 with a 48.70 at the end of the 2006 season and was named IAAF 2006 Female World Athlete of the Year After failing to qualify for the 400 m at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics in Osaka due to illness which caused her to finish fourth in the US trials, Richards was the favourite to win gold in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and qualified fastest for the final, but went out of the blocks too quickly and was overtaken in the finishing straight by Christine Ohuruogu of Great Britain and Shericka Williams of Jamaica, consigning her to the bronze medal.

In the 2009 season, Richards took the 400 m national title in 50.05 seconds, finishing over half a second faster than the second placed Debbie Dunn. Although she expected faster times, she stated that winning the 2009 World Championships in Berlin was her number one goal. A win in 49.46 s at the Golden Gala in Rome broke Marita Koch's record for most sub-50 second runs, bringing Richards' career total to 36.
Coming up to the World Championships, Richards won her fourth Golden League race in the 400 m with the time of 49.34 seconds and won her first global championship in the 400 m at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin with a world leading time of 49.00 seconds. Richards also anchored team USA to a gold medal in the women's 4 x 400 m relay in the sixth fastest time in history of 3.17.83 minutes, Richards split time in the relay was unofficially 48.43 seconds. After a career defining World Championships, Richards went on to win her final two Golden League races with a new world leading times of 48.94 seconds (Zurich) and 48.83 seconds (Brussels) to share in the $1M dollar jackpot with men's 3000 m/5000 m winner Kenenisa Bekele and women's pole vault winner Yelena Isinbayeva, each receiving $333,333USD; this was the third time Richards had won the Golden League Jackpot. Sanya Richards ended her massive season on a high by winning silver in the 200 m at the IAAF World Athletics Final behind world champion Allyson Felix with a time of 22.29 seconds, and by winning gold in the 400 m with a time of 49.95 seconds; achieving her 41st sub-50second 400 m run.

Richards celebrating her World Championships gold medal

Richards has since gone on to win the gold medal at the World Championships in Berlin with a world leading time of 49.00 seconds in the 400 m, and anchored her USA team mates Debbie Dunn, Allyson Felix and Lashinda Demus to a gold medal in the 4 x 400 m relay, while together running the sixth fastest time in history. Richards also won all of the remaining three Golden League meets over 400 m to share in the 2009 Jackpot with Kenenisa Bekele (men's 3000/5000m) and Yelena Isinbayeva (women's pole vault). Richards final three Golden League times were 49.34 in Paris, 48.94 (WL) in Zurich, and finally 48.83 (WL) in Brussels on the 4th of September. Richards has now run eight times under 50 seconds in 2009 with a total of 40 in her career.

In 2011 Richards-Ross ran an impressive 49.66 just prior to the World Championships but only scrapped through to the final as a fastest loser and wound up seventh nearly two seconds behind the winner in the final. She later returned to top form in the 4 x 400 m relay, leading the United States to victory. It was her record fifth gold medal from the world championships.

Sponsorship

In Aug 2007, Sanya was signed as a global brand spokesperson for Nutrilite, the world's leading brand of vitamin, mineral and dietary supplements (based on 2006 sales). Nutrilite products are sold through Amway corporation.

Personal

Richards attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School and returned last year to give a speech at the Homecoming pep rally. Before leaving Jamaica she attended the Vaz Preparatory and the Immaculate Conception High School. Richards graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006 with a degree in management information systems. She is a singer and a dancer, regularly putting on shows for family and friends. In 2007, she became engaged to current New York Giants cornerback and Super Bowl champion, Aaron Ross. They had been dating since 2003. The couple were married on February 26, 2010 and their wedding was featured on an episode of Platinum Weddings.

In 2010, Richards starred in "The Educators", an Antoine Fuqua-directed Foot Locker commercial featuring Rajon Rondo, Amar'e Stoudemire, Justin Tuck, and DeSean Jackson. This commercial was mocked by The Onion.

Richards suffers from the Behçet's disease (a form of vasculitis), which has caused her difficulties in her training and athletics career.

Statistics

Richards at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics

Competition record

Year	Tournament	Venue	Event	Place	Result
2002	World Junior Championships	Kingston, Jamaica	200m	3rd	23.09
			400m	2nd	51.49
2003	World Championships	Saint-Denis, France	400m	11th	51.32
2004	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	400m	6th	50.19
2005	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	400m	2nd	49.74
	World Athletics Final	Monaco, Monaco	400m	1st	49.52
2006	World Indoor Championships	Moscow, Russia	400m	9th	52.46
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	200m	2nd	22.17
			400m	1st	49.25
	World Cup	Athens, Greece	400m	1st	48.70
			200m	1st	22.23
2007	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	200m	5th	22.70
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	400m	3rd	49.93
2009	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	400m	1st	49.00
			4x400m relay	1st	3:17.83
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	4x400m relay	1st	3:18.09
		Daegu, South Korea	400m	7th	51.32

Personal bests

Event	Time (seconds)	Venue	Date
60 meters	7.21	Lincoln, Nebraska, United States	February 28, 2004
100 meters	10.97	Shanghai, China	September 28, 2007
200 meters	22.17	Stuttgart, Germany	September 9, 2006
400 meters	48.70 – National Record	Athens, Greece	September 16, 2006

• All information from IAAF profile.

External links

• Official Website
• YouTube Videoblogs
• IAAF profile for Sanya Richards
• USA T&F – Sanya Richards
• Sanya Richards Pictures
• Sanya Richards discusses her goals and disappointments coming into the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan
• TheFinalSprint.com's interview with sprinter Sanya Richards
• Flotrack Interview with Sanya Richards

Awards
Preceded by Yelena Isinbayeva	Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year 2006	Succeeded by Meseret Defar
Preceded by Tirunesh Dibaba	Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year 2009	Succeeded by Blanka Vlašić