By Romaine Soh
The Pre Classic is all kinds of special to Olympic quarter-miler Sanya Richards-Ross. On what she considers her home turf, Hayward Field, she got her first taste of the world track scene at age 16, when she was invited to compete at the meet. She has come back almost every year since.
“There’s not a lot of meets in the U.S. that are high level with great competition,” she said. “The Pre was already that before it got Diamond League status. After that, it just went way over the top with the Diamond League status because so many athletes come from all over the world to compete here. For me to have an opportunity to compete in the U.S., somewhere where I feel comfortable and loved and feel very supported, it makes me want to come back every year. It’s just a wonderful experience.”
Richards-Ross will compete on Saturday for the final time at the Pre Classic. She will retire after the season and is using the hashtag #SRRFinalLap on her social media posts.
“It’s been with a lot of prayer and reflection that I decided this would be my final season, so I’m at peace with it,” she said. “I definitely knew that at some point I wouldn’t be able to run anymore. I’ve struggled with this toe injury since 2012. It’s been very tough, tougher than most people know. I feel physically and mentally strong, but it’s tough when you deal with injuries like that that just keep nagging and nagging. This year I felt better, I felt stronger. I’m hoping my body will hold up and that I can end this final lap in Rio.”
The three-time Olympian is a beloved figure in the track community because of her openness about her athletic career and her outreach to fans.
Halfway through the Pre Classic press conference Friday, she willingly got up to take a photo with a young athlete who had been awake since 2 in the morning and claimed a photo with Richards-Ross was the only thing that would make her day better. On Thursday, high school competitors at a clinic hung out with her, and she was reminded of her own teenage days when she first competed at the Pre Classic. She gave them various pieces of advice, which included soaking up the unique atmosphere, being in the moment, to just give their best and, most importantly, to have fun.
“It’s been such an amazing journey, and the Pre Classic has been such a huge part of that,” she said. “Coming here as a high schooler really opened my eyes to the possibilities and the potential that I had if I stayed focused and worked hard. It means a lot to me to come back here for my season opener.”
The Pre Classic was her springboard to greater glory as she went on to qualify for her first Olympics in 2004, where she finished sixth. In the following Olympics, she improved to third in 2008 and then won the gold in 2012.
Richards-Ross, who has been battling a toe problem since 2012, has turned in 49 sub-50 times in her career. She will be up against strong competition on Saturday, which includes Shaunae Miller and Quanera Hayes. The two have dipped below the 50-second barrier this season.
To continue her Rio quest, Richards-Ross has had three surgeries to help her continue running. Despite this, she remains optimistic that her swan song will be a great one. After her final surgery in November, she cross trained, not returning to the track full time until February or March. Her coach, Clyde Hart, said she completed a lap in 51.4 seconds, the fastest she has ever run in training.
The Pre Classic will be her rust buster to gauge her performance thus far. Richards-Ross is slated to start in the center of the track, where she hopes to feed off the other athletes and get in a good debut time in preparation for the Trials in July.
“I just want to put together a really good race,” she said. “If I run sub-50, that would be amazing. But for my first race, I usually go about 50 points, so if I can do that tomorrow, I feel like I’m in the right direction.”
Although doctors had not wanted to conduct surgery on her foot, deeming it dangerous for her to continue running on it, she went through with a third surgery. She says she felt better after this surgery than the others, ranking her fitness in the 90-95 percent range.
She was inspired to announce her retirement after watching Kobe Bryant’s final season. “I wish I knew Kobe – I wish I had him on speed dial!” she said, laughing. “I’m not Black Mamba by any means, but seeing the love that he received made me think I want my fans to experience that on some level. I love bringing my fans on the journey with me. I didn’t want to just disappear next year. Since I’m 100 percent sure I wanted to retire after the season, I wanted to share that with my fans.”
Richards-Ross’ wishes to start a family, as well as her wanting to pursue her various passions outside of track, were part of her motivation. She will have a huge void in her life without training, but she has plans to fill her schedule. She owns Ross Elite Chauffeur Services with her husband, Aaron Ross; a salon with her sister; and a clothing line with a friend. All are aligned with her interests in business and marketing.
“My dad always told me to be multi-faceted. Now, I feel like I know what I want to do when I leave the sport, and transition won’t be as daunting, so I’m excited about that,” she said.
Richards-Ross has a support system in place that allows her to balance her professional running career with her businesses. Since she co-owns them with family and friends, they understand when she has to prioritize her training, and they pitch in to lessen her burden. A typical day sees Richards-Ross checking her email right after she wakes up, heading to the gym, returning to get lunch and a protein shake, maybe heading out to do an intense track session, then checking her email at night again.
At home, Richards-Ross’ father manages her diet; her mother, who is her manager, is in charge of email correspondence; and her husband keeps her emotionally in check. Ross, who used to play in the NFL, uses his history as an athlete to help Richards-Ross through her rough days.
“I see her every day at home – we talk about race strategy and different things like that,” said Ross. “When we get to the track, I’m just one of those proud husbands in the stands looking and waiting to see if all of her preparation is going to pay off.”
The car service company he owns with Richards-Ross, Ross Elite Chauffeur Services, was born from their love of luxuries. Now that Ross is on the verge of retirement, he spends most of his time on the business when he is not supporting his wife at her track meets. Ross is in charge of managerial duties and occasionally pitches in as the driver.
Ross knows that life after Richards-Ross has retired from track will be different. “It will be the first time both of us are going to have a lot of idle time,” he said. “We’re happy to find out, but honestly can’t tell you how it’s going to be.”
