USA Championships
Five-time USA Outdoor 400m champion - 2003 (51.01); 2005 (49.28); 2006 (49.27); 2008 (49.89); 2009 (50.05)
2004 Olympic Trials 400m runner-up (49.89)
2002 USA Junior 400m champion (50.69)
International Championships
2009 World Outdoor champion (49.00)
Two-time Olympic 4x400m gold medalist - 2004 (3:19.01); 2008 (3:18.54)
2008 Olympic 400m bronze medalist (49.93)
Four-time World Outdoor 4x400m gold medalist - 2003 (3:22.63); 2007 (3:18.55); 2009 (3:17.83); 2011 (3:18.09)
2012 World Indoor champion (50.79)
2012 World Indoor 4x400m runner-up
2006 World Cup 200m (22.23) and 400m (48.70) champion
2005 World Outdoor silver medalist (49.74)
2002 World Junior 400m silver medalist (51.49) and 200m bronze medalist (23.09)
Collegiate Championships
2003 NCAA 400m champion (50.58)
2003 NCAA Indoor 200m (22.90) and 400m (51.87) runner-up
Awards and honors
American outdoor record holder (48.70)
Two-time IAAF World Athlete of the Year (2006, 2009)
Two-time Jesse Owens Award winner (2006, 2009)
2005 Visa champion and Humanitarian Athlete of the Year
NCAA Indoor 400m record holder (50.82)
2003 USATF Youth Athlete of the Year
Two-time Florida High School Female Athlete of the Year
2002 Gatorade National High School Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year
USA Junior (50.58) and high school 400m record holder (50.69)
About Sanya
Long ranked the world’s best 400m runner, Sanya Richards-Ross in 2009 won an elusive world title and looks fitter than ever heading into 2012 and in search of her first 400m Olympic gold. Being diagnosed with Beghet’s Disease in 2007 has not held her back. In 2009 she ran the four fastest times in the world and won a share of the $1,000,000 Golden League jackpot, going undefeated in the six Golden League meetings. She didn't lose a race in the 400m between the 2005 World Outdoor Championships and the 2007 USA Outdoor Championships. It was a stretch that included breaking 50 seconds nine different times and setting a new American record at 48.70, which also ranked No. 7 on the all-time world list. At just 18 years of age, Richards-Ross won 400m titles both at NCAA Outdoors and USA Outdoors along with running a leg on the World Championships gold medal 4x400m all in 2003. Richards-Ross held the top 400m time in the USA each season from 2005 through 2009 and held the top time in the world in four of those five seasons. She married Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Aaron Ross on February 26, 2010, on her 25th birthday.
Results
2012: 1st at World Indoor 400m (50.79) and 2nd in 4x400m (3:28.79); 1st at USA Indoors (50.71); 1st at Millrose (50.89)
2011: World Outdoor 4x400m gold medalist (3:18.09), 7th in 400m (51.32); 7th at USA Outdoor 200m (22.68); 1st at London 400m (49.66); 2nd at Lausanne 400m (50.61); 3rd at Ostrava 400m (50.99)
2010: 4th in semifinal at USA Outdoors 400m (51.82); did not compete rest of season; ankle injury.
2009: World Outdoor 4x400m gold medalist (3:17.83); World Outdoor champion (49.00); USA Outdoor Champion (50.05); 2nd in 200m at adidas Track Classic (23.03); 1st at Nike Prefonatine Classic 400m (49.86); 1st at Berlin 400m (49.57); 1st at Oslo 400m (49.23, 22.29); 1st at Rome 400m (49.46); 1st at Paris 400m (49.34); 1st at Zurich 400m (48.94); 1st at Brussels 400m (48.83); 1st at World Athletic Final in 400m and 2nd in 200m
2008: Olympic 4x400m gold medalist (3:18.54) and 400m bronze medalist (49.93); Olympic Trials 400m champion (49.89); 1st at Nike Prefontaine Classic 400m (50.10); 1st at Reebok Grand Prix 400m (50.04); 6th at adidas Track Classic 100m (11.26); 1st at Michael Johnson Invite 400m (50.47); 1st at UTA Invitational (22.56)
2007: World Outdoor 4x400m gold medalist (3:18.55); 5th in 200m at World Outdoors (22.70); 2nd in 200m (22.43) and 4th in 400m (50.68) at USA Outdoors; 1st in 400m at Nike Prefontaine Classic 400m (50.74); 1st at Oslo (50.26); 1st at Paris (49.52); 1st at Rome (49.77); 2nd in 200m at Sheffield (22.44); 1st at London (49.79); 2nd in 100m (11.05) 400m (49.72) at Stockholm
2006: USA Outdoor Champion (49.27); 1st in 400m (49.25) and 2nd in 200m (22.17) at World Athletics Final; 1st in 200m (22.42) at adidas Track Classic; 1st at Nike Prefontaine Classic 400m (50.89); 1st at Kingston 400m (49.89); 1st in the 200m (22.25) at the Norwich Union GP; 1st at the Oslo 400m (49.82); 1st at Paris 400m (49.73); 1st at Rome 400m (49.31); 2nd in 200m (22.35) at Stockholm; 1st at London 400m (49.05)
2005: World Outdoor silver medalist (49.74); USA Outdoor Champion (49.28); 1st in Zurich (48.92); 1st at Lausanne 400m (49.95); 1st at Rome 400m (49.82); 2nd at Nike Prefontaine Classic 400m (49.98); 1st at adidas Track Classic 400m (50.00)
2004: Olympic 4x400m gold medalist (3:19.01); Olympic Trials 400m runner-up (49.89); 6th at Olympic Games 400m (50.19); NCAA Indoor 200m runner-up (22.49i); 3rd in 400m at NCAA outdoors (50.68); 4th at Zurich 400m (50.91); 1st in 100m (11.32) and 200m (22.73) at Big 12 Championships; 1st in 400m (50.66) at the NCAA Midwest championship; 1st in 60m (7.21i) 1st in 400m (51.45i) at Tyson Foods Invitational
2003: World Outdoor 4x400m gold medalist (3:22.63); USA Outdoor Champion (51.01); 1st at NCAA Indoors 4x400m relay (3:27.66), second in 200m (22.90) and 400m (51.87); NCAA 400m champion (50.58); Big 12 Indoor 60m (7.32) and 200m (23.04) champion; 1st in Sacramento 400m (50.58); 4th in heat two of World Outdoor Championships semifinal (51.32)
2002: World Junior 400m silver medalist (51.49) and 200m bronze medalist (23.09); USA Junior champion (50.69); 2nd at Nike Prefontaine 400m (51.16); 1st at Raleigh 200m (23.03); 1st at 100m at Raleigh (11.39)
USA/World Rankings and Personal Bests
2012: Indoor bests - 400m, 50.71 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 1 in the world)
2011: Outdoor bests - 200m, 22.63 (No. 10 in the USA, No. 20 in the world); 400m, 49.66 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 4 in the world)
2010: Outdoor bests - 200m, 51.82; 400m, 51.82 (No. 17 in the USA)
2009: Outdoor bests - 200m, 22.29 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 4 in the world); 400m, 48.83 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 1 in the world)
2008: Outdoor bests - 200m, 22.40 (No. 8 in the USA, No. 14 in the world); 400m, 49.74 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 3 in the world)
2007: Outdoor bests - 200m, 22.31 (No. 3 in the USA, No. 3 in the world); 400m, 49.27 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 1 in the world)
2006: Indoor bests - 400m, 51.28 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 14 in the world); Outdoor bests - 200m, 22.17 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 3 in the world); 400m, 48.70AR (No. 1 in the USA, No. 1 in the world)
2005: Outdoor bests - 200m, 22.53 (No. 7 in the USA, No. 11 in the world); 400m, 48.92 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 1 in the world)
2004: Indoor bests - 200m, 22.49 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 2 in the world); 400m, 50.82 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 4 in the world); Outdoor bests - 200m, 22.73 (No. 13 in the USA, No. 29 in the world); 400m, 49.89 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 7 in the world)
2003: Indoor bests - 200m, 22.80 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 6 in the world); 400m, 51.87 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 9 in the world); Outdoor bests - 200m, 22.86 (No. 11 in the USA, No. 32 in the world)