Sanya Richards-Ross Spikes
US 400m Olympic champ Sanya Richards-Ross chats to Ato Boldon about her unfinished business in Beijing.
Richards-Ross won three consecutive Olympic relay titles, individual 400m gold in 2012 as well as a staggering six world titles (five outdoor, one indoor).
However, the sprinter – and reality TV star – has unfinished business in Beijing, the host city of the 2015 World Championships. “I won my Olympic gold, I’m a world champion, but I want to continue to add to that,” she tells Boldon.
“I would love to defend my title in Rio and be a two-time Olympic gold medallist and hopefully win gold in Beijing at the world championships. I think that would be great redemption after not winning in Beijing in 2008.”
Richards-Ross had to settle for bronze in Beijing 2008.
Richards-Ross has been successful from an early age. She won 400m silver and 200m bronze at the World Junior Championships in Kingston 2002, and says her successful transition from junior to the senior ranks was mainly because of her family.
“The one thing that has remained the same and that has allowed me to have success on all levels is my family support. When I look over most of the careers of many athletes, they got lost in the system and I think the reason they got lost was because they didn’t have their families there.
“My parents would fly to Texas to be there and support me and just to encourage me the entire way. And that continued through my professional career, where my mum and dad became my managers and would travel all over the country with me. So the one thing that has never changed has been my family support.”
You can watch the full 8 minute interview below: