Richards fails to make worlds
INDIANAPOLIS – Sanya Richards was the fastest female on the planet at 400 meters a year ago. This year she won’t even be in the race at the world championships.
Richards failed to make the U.S. 400-meter team for the worlds by finishing fourth in the event under dreary skies at the U.S. track and field championships on Saturday.
The loss broke a string of 18 consecutive outdoor victories in the 400 for Richards since her runner-up finish at the 2005 world championships.
The two-time defending champion had the five fastest times in the world, capped by an American record, a year ago, but was dogged by a flulike illness that kept her out of her first four meets this season.
DeeDee Trotter won her first U.S. outdoor title in a lifetime best 49.64 seconds. South Carolina’s Natasha Hastings was second in 49.84, breaking the collegiate record Richards set at Texas. Mary Wineberg was third at 50.24. Trotter came from third on the final turn to draw away.
Richards, who ran under 50 seconds nine times last year, finished at 50.68.
“I just lost my thinking,” Richards said. “I thought I was already on the team and didn’t fight for that third spot, so I’m really disappointed. But I still have the 200, and I’m going to come out and win that.”
Tyson Gay, running less than 24 hours after a 9.84-second clocking in his 100-meter victory, was the leading 200 qualifier at 20.66 seconds into a brisk headwind. Wallace Spearmon, Xavier Carter and Jeremy Wariner were among the others to advance to today’s semifinals.
With Gay, Spearmon and Carter, the event features three of the fastest sprinters in the event’s history. A fourth, NCAA 100 and 200 champion Walter Dix, didn’t show for the 200.
“It’s a new day,” Gay said. “I really didn’t warm up long. I’m a little fatigued. I just wanted to get it done.”
The top three finishers in each event make up the U.S. team for the world championships Aug. 25-Sept. 2 in Osaka, Japan. Defending world champions also make the team, as long as they compete in some event at the U.S. meet.
Mikele Barber was the fastest women’s 200 at 22.73.
Tom Pappas won his fifth U.S. decathlon title in a competition that was without reigning world champion Bryan Clay, who withdrew after four events on Friday, citing fatigue.
“I know if he stayed in the competition it would have pushed me more to score. Then on the other hand I might have got hurt trying to do more than I should have,” Pappas said, “but having somebody like Bryan out here is always great.”
In the men’s 400, Angelo Taylor ran side-by-side with LaShawn Merritt, edging ahead in the finish to win by 0.05 seconds. Taylor, 2000 Olympic champion in the 400 hurdles, won at 44.05 to Merritt’s 44.06. Taylor tumbled to the track after the close victory.
The world’s best 400 runner, the Olympic gold medalist Wariner, has a bye into the worlds as the defending champion. He is competing in the 200 at the U.S. meet.
Taylor, 28, returned to racing following two arrests in a three-month span on charges of having sex with 15-year-old girls. He was placed on probation and fined $2,500 in 2006.
“That’s life. I’m not perfect,” he said. “I’ve made mistakes. It was a learning lesson.”