Golden Richards?

400 an important engagement for resilient runner

BEIJING - As Sanya Richards stands akimbo after advancing to the women's 400-meter final, it is hard to miss the diamond-filled engagement ring she received from her fiancé, Giants cornerback Aaron Ross, last December. Someone wonders aloud if the sizable ring slows her down. "No," she says. "But people always ask." She laughs, flashes a smile, and is gone. Watching Richards walk away with a confident bounce in her step ready to add an individual Olympic gold medal to her collection of baubles, she appears to lead a charmed life.

But that was far from the case at the last Olympics in Athens and last year. The fact that Richards entered the Beijing Games with the third-fastest 400 time in the world this season (49.86) is testament to her resiliency and determination. After failing to medal in the event in Athens, she turned her disappointment into a drive to become the world's best in the 400. After struggling with debilitating Behcet's syndrome throughout 2007 and failing to qualify for the World Championship in the 400, she is on the verge of achieving her goal. Winning tonight's 400 final would be the perfect way to cap an undefeated, comeback season.

"It's a bit of redemption," said Richards. "Last season, I didn't make the US team [for the World Championships] not because I didn't work hard but because of reasons out of my control. I watched it all from the sidelines. I've completely gotten over that and I'm just excited to be in the hunt this year. This is more personal for me. I'm not gunning for [Great Britain's] Christina Ohuruogu or [Jamaica's] Novlene Williams. I've desired this for so long and I really want to win this for myself and my family.

"In the final, I won't be running for a time," said Richards. "I'll be running for the gold medal. But I definitely feel like I'm in great shape. I think I'm close to seeing a 48, but I don't know if it will come [tonight] or before the end of the season. But I'm definitely prepared to do that."

It was uncertain whether that would be the case given what happen last year. In March, Richards started to suffer from flu-like symptoms. The first doctor diagnosed a virus and prescribed antibiotics. She returned to practice but the symptoms never went away.

In addition to feeling sick and fatigued, Richards developed mouth ulcers that, at their worst, prevented the runner from eating and talking. She wrote notes to communicate with her coach Clyde Hart and her family. Then, there were skin lesions all over her body. Richards would wake up in the middle of the night feeling as if someone burned her skin with an iron. During workouts, she had trouble bending into a squat because the lesions along her legs were so painful.

Less than a year after she ran a personal-best 48.70 and earned a No. 1 world ranking in the 400 and a No. 2 world ranking in the 200, Richards failed to make the World Championship team and finally realized something was "really wrong." She headed to New York and received the correct diagnosis. It was the immune system disease Behcet's. She has worked to find the right medication and keep the disease in check. Her last flare-up came on New Year's Day.

"Now, I'm in a much better place," said Richards. "It was challenging after losing races and not being able to trust my body 100 percent. Sometimes I just wouldn't be able to show up. That was the hard time, especially when you're used to being successful and you know that hard work equals success. I was putting in as much work as I could, and I just couldn't rely on that all the time. It's taken me some time, but I feel I'm in a great place right now. I've learned so many lessons, and I feel like I'm so much stronger now. I go into these Olympics not only physically well, but also mentally well."

Richards entered the 2004 Athens Olympics after her sophomore season at Texas. Inexperienced at major international competitions, she finished sixth in 50.19. But she did collect a gold medal running the third leg of the 4 x 400 relay. The disappointment of returning home without an individual Olympic medal pushed Richards to become a professional the next season and start working with Hart.

"It's been an amazing transition for me ever since. To come back to the next Olympics, be the favorite, and potentially leaving with a gold medal in my main event would mean so much to me. It would mean that all my sacrifices and hard world have paid off, that I've surrounded myself with the right people and set myself up for success."

There will be 20 members of Richards's family in the stands at the National Stadium for the 400 final, but Ross will be missing. He could not leave Giants training camp to watch Richards in her gold medal bid. The pair train together when they can. Now, they iChat regularly, with Richards updating Ross on her workouts.

"I really wish that Ross could be here with me," said Richards. "At first, I was OK with it, but the more people asked me, 'Is Ross coming? Is Ross coming?' the more I miss him. I really wish he could be here. He definitely wishes he could be here also. He's very encouraging and motivating. He can't wait for me to have a chance at my gold medal. Of course, he thinks that I'll do it."

Ross may be biased, but he is far from the only one who thinks Richards will win gold. But her biggest challenge may come after the 400 final. Richards has a 2009 wedding to plan.

Shira Springer can be reached at springer@globe.com.