Olympic Gold Medal Winner Richards-Ross
Photo: Special to the New York Beacon
By Scoop Malinowski www.mrbiofile.com
(Editor’s Note: In recognition of Women’s History Month, the New York Beacon will be profiling female athletes who have made a significant contribution in their sport.)
Status: Won Olympic Gold Medals in the 400 meters at 2012 Olympics. Also won gold medal in 4×400 relay in 2004, 2008, 2012.
DOB: Feb. 26, 1985 In: Kingston, Jamaica
First Track Memory: “My first memory was when I was seven or eight and I competed in our Prep championships and I won and it was the best feeling ever. And I remember I told my dad – I think I won the 60 and the 55, whatever – I said, ‘I think I’m gonna win ‘Champion Girl.’ They gave a trophy to every class. He said, ‘You only won two races. I don’t think you’re gonna win.’ So, we’re walking out and they say my name and I’m like, yes. And I ran down the stadium stairs and I accepted my first trophy [smiles].”
Track Inspirations: “I guess my greatest track and field inspiration is Jackie Joyner-Kersee. I’ve always looked up to her. She’s just a champion, a fighter, and I love all the philanthropic efforts that she does for her city.”
Current Car: “A Mercedes CLG3AMG.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “Winning Olympic gold in the 400 meters in London.”
Most Painful Moment: “Getting third in Beijing [smiles].”
First Famous Track & Field Athlete You Met or Encountered: “Carl Lewis. Well, it’s close. Carl Lewis and Maurice Greene. But I think the first one was Maurice Greene. Say Maurice Greene. I met Maurice Greene – I was at The Prefontaine running as a high schooler and I met Maurice Greene. That was a pretty cool experience.”
Strangest Race: “Oh yeah, I have a strangest race experience. I was in Stockholm. And the way the Stockholm meet is set up, we warm up about 400 meters from the track. And I get to check-in and it’s time to get on the track. They say, ‘Put your spikes on.’ I look in my bag – no spikes. And so I start to panic. And I call up to my mom. I say to her, ‘I have no spikes!’ And so I’m walking out with no spikes – -with my racing flats – and I’m trying to hold up the line. And I’ll never forget – they’re calling our names and my physio comes sprinting across the field, ‘Sanya! Sanya!’ I was gonna run in sneakers because I had no spikes. It was pretty funny.”
Favorite Sport Outside Track & Field: “NFL.”
Three Athletes You Like To Watch & Follow: “I love to watch Serena Williams play tennis. LeBron James play basketball. And Skylar Diggins play women’s basketball.”
Why Do You Love Track & Field: “I love track and field because I think it’s an amazing sport. It’s just a pure sport that – even though you compete against several other people – you mainly are competing against yourself. And constantly getting better and better. So I enjoy that aspect of continually to push myself and getting better and better.”
First Job: “Track and field, Nike [smiles]. Working for Nike.”
Funny Track Memory: “Me, Bershawn Jackson and Wallace Spearmon did ‘Beat It’ by Michael Jackson in Berlin 2009. Yeah, You Tube it [smiles].”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Hard working people. People who try their best.”
Scoop’s book Facing Serena Williams is available at amazon.com
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