Richards-Ross sets sights on 200 metres

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

Tomorrow's 400 metres showdown against Christine Ohuruogu will be her biggest test since she won a long-overdue gold medal in her 400m pet event at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany, but it wont be her last, as Jamaica-born US quarter-mile star Sanya Richards-Ross will be spending more time in the 200m this year.

Richards-Ross, who has a personal best of 22.17 seconds in the 200m, will face off with Ohuruogu - who got the better of her at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games - in the 400m this Saturday, at the JN Jamaica International Invitational at the National Stadium.

She will also face competition from Jamaica's 400m hurdles specialist Kaliese Spencer and United States indoor champion Natasha Hastings, in what is truly her first meaningful outing since that triumph in 2009.

Aiming to defend title

Richards-Ross underlined her intention to defend her title at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, and also indicated that she could be paying more attention to the 200m this year; targeting a medal at the August 27-September 4 meet.

"I definitely wanna do a little bit of work with the 200m, and if I can get my rhythm right and get some 49 seconds times early in the season, then I'm definitely going to start focusing on the 200m," said Richards-Ross during a chat with The Gleaner yesterday, shortly before her first training session in the country ahead of tomorrow's meet.

"My number one goal is to defend my title at the World Champs, winning was one of my best feelings in my career and I've been on that high since then. To come here where there is now a blue track is so fitting because it reminds me of Berlin, so I definitely want to retain my title and try to get a medal in the 200m as well," she added. "I know it's going to be extremely difficult with Allison (Felix) and Veronica (Campbell-Brown) there though."

This will be the former Vaz Preparatory student's third meet this year, following her 52 seconds showing at the Michael Johnson Classics two weeks ago and her 4x400m leg at last weekend's Penn Relays.

"Preparation has been probably the best it has ever been. I started working out in September because I wasn't running last year so it's the earliest I ever started my off-season training," she said. "I have had a few little setbacks here and there but nothing major, so I feel really good and I'm really looking forward to running on Saturday."