Sanya Richards Takes 1st Ever 200/400 at World Athletics Final

Sanya Richards won her third straight women’s 400m title
Sunday at the IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, Germany,
becoming the first athlete ever to win a 200-400 double at the meet and
posting one of three American titles on the day.

The
winner of the 200m on Saturday, Richards went out hard Sunday in the
400, knowing all three Olympic medalists were in the field. In addition
to bronze medalist Richards, the gold medalist, Christine Ohuguoru of
Great Britain, and silver medalist Shericka Williams of Jamaica, were
in the race.

Although Ohuguoru ran her usual
strong final straight, Richards won easily in 50.41, with Ohuguoru
second in 50.83. Jamaica’s Novlene Williams was third in 51.30, and
American Mary Wineberg was sixth in 51.65.

Olympic
bronze medalist David Oliver led a very strong American showing in the
men’s 110m hurdles, winning in 13.22, with Ryan Wilson third (13.54),
Aries Merritt fourth (13.56), Tyron Akins sixth (13.62) and Joel Brown
eighth (13.81).

Olympic Trials champion Derek
Miles (5.80m/19-0.25) and American record holder Brad Walker
(5.70m/18-8.25) went 1-2 in an unpredictable the men’s pole vault, as
temperatures began the competition at roughly 52 degrees Fahrenheit.
Miles’ mark was a seasonal best.

Olympic gold
medalist Stephanie Brown Trafton was third in the women’s discus with a
throw of 62.23m/204-2, with Olympic Trials champ Aretha Thurmond sixth
with 56.99m/186-11 and Becky Breisch seventh with 53.92m/176-11.

Team
USA went 3-4-5-6 in the women’s 100, led by Marshevet Hooker in third
(11.06) behind Olympic gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser (10.94) and
bronze medalist Kerron Stewart (11.06) of Jamaica. In a photo finish,
Stewart got the nod for second over Hooker. Also for the U.S.,
Carmelita Jeter was fourth (11.21), Torri Edwards fifth (11.22) and
Lauryn Williams sixth, also in 11.22, in a blanket finish that saw
Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas seventh in 11.23 and Debbie
Ferguson-McKenzie of the Bahamas eighth in 11.25.

Tiffany
Ross-Williams placed third in the women’s 400m hurdles (55.16) with
Olympic silver medalist Sheena Tosta fifth (55.33), behind gold
medalist Melanie Walker of Jamaica in first (54.06). American Christine
Spence was seventh in 58.15.

In other American
performances, Rodney Martin was fifth (20.66) and Joel Brown eighth
(21.23) in the men’s 200. Olympic Trials champion Chaunte Howard was
fifth in the women’s high jump with a height of 1.97m/6-5.5), and
Miguel Pate was sixth in the men’s long jump (7.99m/26-2.75); Liz
Wanless was sixth (17.72m/58-1.75) and Kristin Heaston seventh
(16.87m/55-4.25) in the women’s shot put. Olympic Trials champion
Bernard Lagat was sixth in the men’s 1,500 in 3:38.79 and Sara Slattery
eighth in the women’s 3,000 in 9:16.24.

For complete results and event reports, visit www.iaaf.org