Athletics: Richards-Ross shines in Stockholm

Ross timed a mediocre 49.89 seconds, the only athlete to go below 50 seconds.

STOCKHOLM: Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross eased to victory in the women’s 400m at the Stockholm Diamond League meeting as post-London blues crept into international track and field. Richards-Ross, whose win at the Games ended a 28-year wait for gold for the US in the 400m, timed a mediocre 49.89 seconds, the only athlete to go below 50 seconds. Meanwhile, Charonda Williams took advantage of Olympic gold medallist Allyson Felix’s decision to skip the event to claim victory in the 200m, while American compatriot Dawn Harper won the 100m hurdles in 12.65 seconds ahead of Kellie Wells. Australian Olympic champion in the event Sally Pearson was another absentee suffering a back injury. The men’s 100m was also missing its Olympic stars as America’s Ryan Bailey took victory in 9.93 seconds. Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Yuliya Zaripova clocked a season’s best time of nine minutes and 5.02 seconds to win her event.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2012.