Sanya Richards-Ross facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sanya Richards-Ross

Richards-Ross at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Born	(1985-02-26) February 26, 1985 (age 40) Kingston, Jamaica
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight	137 lb (62 kg)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	400 m
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 m: 10.97 (Shanghai 2007) 200 m: 22.09 (New York 2009) 400 m: 48.70 AR (Athens 2006) Indoors 200 m: 22.49 (Fayetteville 2004) 400 m: 50.71 (Albuquerque 2012)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 4 0 1 World Championships 5 2 0 World Indoor Championships 1 1 0 Total 10 3 1 Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 4 × 400 m relay Gold 2008 Beijing 4 × 400 m relay Gold 2012 London 400 m Gold 2012 London 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 Silver 2015 Beijing 4 × 400 m relay World Indoor Championships Gold 2012 Istanbul 400 m Silver 2012 Istanbul 4 × 400 m relay World Relays Gold 2014 Nassau 4 × 400 m relay Gold 2015 Nassau Distance medley relay Gold 2015 Nassau 4 × 400 m relay

Sanya Richards-Ross is a retired American track and field athlete. She was an amazing sprinter, especially in the 400-meter sprint. She won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics and was the world champion in 2009. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics and a silver medal in 2005.

In 2012, Sanya became the second American woman to win the 400 meters at the Summer Olympics. She was also the first American woman to win more than one global 400-meter title. She won the U.S. national championship six times in the 400 meters.

Sanya was ranked number one in the world for the 400 meters from 2005 to 2009, and again in 2012. In 2006, she set an American record for the 400 meters, finishing in 48.70 seconds. She was named the IAAF Female World Athlete of the Year in both 2006 and 2009. Sanya holds the record for running the 400 meters in under 50 seconds more times than any other athlete, with 49 such races.

Besides her individual wins, she also won three Olympic gold medals in the 4 × 400 meters relay in 2004, 2008, and 2012. She also won five relay medals at various World Athletics Championships. Sanya retired from the sport in 2016 due to an injury. After retiring, she became a track and field analyst for NBC. In 2017, she wrote a book about her life called Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile has Taught Me about God and Life. In 2021, she joined the TV show The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Early Life and School

Sanya Richards-Ross was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on February 26, 1985. She started running when she was seven years old. When she was twelve, her family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They hoped she could go to an American high school and get a scholarship for college.

Sanya graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in 2002. She had excellent grades. She was named the Gatorade National High School Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year. She also won nine state championships in high school. These included four 100-meter titles, three 200-meter titles, one 400-meter title, and one long jump title.

After high school, Sanya went to the University of Texas, Austin in 2002. She studied business and was a star on the women's track and field team. She graduated in 2005.

Sanya's Running Career

Early Success (2003–2005)

In 2003, Sanya, representing the University of Texas, became the first freshman to win the NCAA national championship in the 400 meters. She also won the 4 × 400 meters relay. Her 400-meter win set a new American record for athletes under 20 years old.

Later that year, at 18, Sanya won her first big national title in the 400 meters. This win qualified her for the 2003 Paris World Championships. In Paris, she did not make it to the 400-meter final. However, she still won a gold medal in the 4 × 400 meters relay with Team USA.

Sanya qualified for her first Olympic team in 2004. She finished second in the 400 meters at the 2004 U.S. Olympic trials. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, she finished sixth in the 400-meter final. Days later, the American women's relay team won a gold medal in the 4 × 400 meters relay. After the Olympics, Sanya became a professional athlete sponsored by Nike. She trained with Clyde Hart, a famous coach.

At the 2005 Helsinki World Championships, 20-year-old Sanya won a silver medal in the 400 meters final. She learned a lot from this race. Later that year, she ran the 400 meters in under 49 seconds for the first time, setting a personal best of 48.92 seconds. This was the fastest time in the world that year.

Setting Records (2006–2008)

In 2006, Sanya aimed to break the American 400-meter record of 48.83 seconds. She was on a winning streak. At a World Cup race in Athens, she finished in 48.70 seconds. This made her the new American record holder in the 400 meters. At that time, she was the seventh-fastest woman ever at that distance. Sanya and her training partner Jeremy Wariner won the 2006 Jesse Owens Award. They were both undefeated that season and shared a $1 million prize from the IAAF Golden League.

Richards-Ross with the U.S. relay team at the 2007 Osaka World Championships.

For the 2007 season, Sanya tried racing more 200-meter sprints. She wanted to see if she could win both the 200 and 400 meters at the Olympics. However, she finished fourth in the 400 meters at the 2007 U.S. national championships. She only qualified for the 2007 Osaka World Championships in the 200 meters. In Osaka, she finished fifth in the 200 meters. Later, she helped Team USA win gold in the women's 4 × 400 meters relay. Even though she didn't win an individual medal, she still finished the year ranked number one in the world for the 400 meters. She realized she needed to focus more on her main event.

By 2008, Sanya had run the 400 meters under 50 seconds 27 times. But she still hadn't won an individual world or Olympic title. After winning the 2008 U.S. Olympic trials, she was expected to win gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. However, she struggled in the final and won a bronze medal. Later, she helped the U.S. women's 4 × 400 meters relay team win gold. She made up a big gap to catch the Russian sprinter right at the finish line.

Sanya later shared that she faced physical and emotional challenges before the 2008 Olympics. These challenges affected her performance in the race.

World Champion and Challenges (2009–2011)

In 2009, Sanya worked with a sports psychologist to help with her anxiety. This helped her have her most successful season yet. She won the 400 meters U.S. national title. At the 2009 Berlin World Championships, she won her first individual 400-meter world title. She led the 400 meters final from start to finish, winning in 49.00 seconds. She then helped Team USA win a gold medal in the women's 4 × 400 meters relay.

Richards-Ross celebrating her victory at the 2009 Berlin World Championships.

After Berlin, Sanya continued her winning streak in the 2009 IAAF Golden League. She won all six Golden League meets for the third time, sharing another $1 million prize. She also broke Marita Koch's record for the most career races under 50 seconds, reaching 41. She was named the 2009 IAAF World Athlete of Year, along with Usain Bolt.

The next two seasons were tough for Sanya. A quad injury in 2010 forced her to end her season early. In 2011, she ran a good 400-meter race in London, but struggled at the 2011 Daegu World Championships, finishing seventh. However, she still helped the U.S. women's 4 × 400 meters relay team win gold.

Olympic Gold and Advocacy (2012)

Richards-Ross racing at the 2012 Istanbul World Indoor Championships.

In 2012, Sanya was healthy and ready to chase her dream of an individual Olympic gold medal. She started strong by winning the 400-meter race in Istanbul, her first indoor world title. This gave her a lot of confidence. She then won the 400-meter final at the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials, tying the Olympic trials record. This earned her a spot in her third Olympics. She also qualified for the 200-meter sprint, planning to try for both events at the 2012 London Olympics.

Sanya went into the London Olympics as the favorite for the 400 meters. This time, she was ready for the pressure. In the 400 meters final, she ran a smart race. She pushed hard at the start, then relaxed, and came into the final stretch in third place. With 50 meters left, she pushed ahead and held on to win in 49.55 seconds. She finally won the Olympic gold medal that she had worked so hard for! This was the first time an American woman had won the event in 28 years. Although she finished fifth in the 200 meters final, she ended the Games with two gold medals. She anchored the winning U.S. women's 4 × 400 meters relay team.

Speaking Out for Athletes

Richards-Ross celebrating at the 2012 Olympic Games.

During the 2012 Olympic season, Sanya was a leader in a movement called #WeDemandChange. This movement spoke out against Rule 40 of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This rule stopped Olympic athletes from promoting their personal sponsors during the Games. Athletes rely on sponsors for their income, so this rule made it hard for them.

Sanya and other athletes used Twitter to share their concerns. They posted messages with hashtags like #WeDemandChange and #Rule40. Sanya explained that many athletes struggle financially. She said it was unfair that athletes were not part of the conversation about these rules. She helped organize a group of track and field athletes to share their ideas with the IOC. They suggested allowing athletes to post about sponsors on social media or wear non-Olympic sponsor logos. They also suggested that the IOC should give prize money to athletes. Because of these efforts, the IOC changed Rule 40 for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This allowed athletes to promote personal sponsors during the Games, with some guidelines.

Later Career and Retirement (2015–2016)

After two surgeries for a toe problem, Sanya injured her calf muscle in 2015. This prevented her from qualifying for the 2015 Beijing World Championships in individual events. However, she was still chosen for the women's 4 x 400 meters relay team. She helped the U.S. team win a silver medal. Sanya later said that training too much might have caused her injuries.

In 2016, Sanya announced she would retire at the end of the track season. She was still recovering from a third toe surgery. At the 2016 U.S. Olympic trials, she injured her right hamstring. This made her stop the race and say goodbye to the crowd. Soon after retiring, Sanya joined the NBC broadcasting team. She became a track and field analyst for major events like the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics.

Personal Life

While at the University of Texas, Sanya started dating Aaron Ross. He was a football player for the Longhorns and later won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants. They got engaged in 2007 and married in 2010. Their wedding was even shown on a TV show called Platinum Weddings.

Sanya and Aaron welcomed their first child, Aaron Jermaine Ross II, in 2017. In 2023, they announced they were expecting their second child, another boy.

For five years, Sanya had a rare condition that caused mouth sores, joint pain, and skin rashes. Doctors thought it might be Behçet's disease, which causes blood vessel inflammation. She started wearing compression arm sleeves during races to cover her skin. As a fashion lover, she later made the sleeves part of her unique look.

In 2013, Sanya started her own reality TV show on WE tv called Glam and Gold. The show followed her as she managed her busy life. It showed her training, running businesses, and spending time with her husband and family. The show was filmed mostly at their home in Austin, but also in Florida, New York, and Jamaica.

Achievements

Competition Record

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Result
Representing the  United States
2002	World Junior Championships	Kingston, Jamaica	3rd	200m	23.09 (wind: -0.2 m/s)
			2nd	400m	51.49
			3rd (h)	4 × 400 m relay	3:35.84
2003	World Championships	Paris, France	11th (sf)	400 m	51.32
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:22.63
2004	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	6th	400 m	50.19
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:19.01
2005	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	2nd	400 m	49.74
	World Athletics Final	Monaco	1st	400 m	49.52
2006	World Indoor Championships	Moscow, Russia	9th (sf)	400 m	52.46
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	2nd	200 m	22.17
			1st	400 m	49.25
	World Cup	Athens, Greece	1st	400 m	48.70
			1st	200 m	22.23
2007	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	5th	200 m	22.70
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:18.55
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	3rd	400 m	49.93
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:18.54
2009	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	1st	400m	49.00
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:17.83
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	7th	400 m	51.32
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:18.09
2012	World Indoor Championships	Istanbul, Turkey	1st	400 m	50.79
			2nd	4 × 400 m relay	3:28.79
	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	5th	200 m	22.39
			1st	400 m	49.55
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:16.88
2014	World Relay Championships	Nassau, Bahamas	1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:21.73
2015	World Relay Championships	Nassau, Bahamas	1st	Distance medley relay	10:36.50 (WR)
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:19.39
	World Championships	Beijing, China	2nd	4 × 400 m relay	3:19.44

National Titles

• Six-time national 400 meters champion: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012.

Personal Bests

• All information from World Athletics profile.

Diamond League Wins

• 2011 – London (400m)
• 2012 – Eugene (400m), New York (200m), Stockholm (400m), Zurich (400m)

Awards

• World Athletics Awards
  • World Athlete of the Year (Women)：2006, 2009

Images for kids

• 

  Richards-Ross at the 2012 Summer Olympics

• 

  Richards-Ross with the U.S. relay team at the 2007 Osaka World Championships

• 

  Richards-Ross celebrating her victory at the 2009 Berlin World Championships

• 

  Richards-Ross racing at the 2012 Istanbul World Indoor Championships

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  Richards-Ross celebrating at the 2012 Olympic Games

See also

In Spanish: Sanya Richards-Ross para niños