Sanya Richards-Ross (née Richards; born February 26, 1985[1]) is a retired American track and field athlete who competed internationally for the United States in the 400-meter sprint.

Following an injury at the 2016 U.S. Olympic trials, Richards-Ross retired from the sport and subsequently joined the NBC broadcasting team as a track and field analyst.

In the 2004 Olympic 400 meters final, Richards-Ross finished sixth with a time of 50.19 seconds, behind her two American compatriots DeeDee Trotter and Monique Hennagan, who both missed the podium as well.

[18] After leaving Athens, Richards-Ross forwent her college eligibility at Texas, competing as a Nike-sponsored athlete and training under the then head track and field coach of Baylor University, Clyde Hart.

Richards-Ross attributed the difficult loss to her inexperience as a young professional athlete, fixating on beating her main competitor before the final 100 meters instead of trusting her established race strategy.

[25]For the 2007 season, Richards-Ross decided to expand her résumé, racing more 200-meter sprints and testing her ability to possibly pursue the rare 200–400 meters double Olympic victory in Beijing the following year.

[31] Richards-Ross later avenged her individual loss by making up a ten-meter deficit in the women's 4 × 400 meters relay and catching the Russian sprinter on the anchor leg right before the finish line, allowing the United States to win by a 0.28-second margin.

Throughout her career, Richards-Ross answered questions regarding the 2008 Olympic 400 meters race with self-described half-truths, attributing her loss to a sudden right hamstring injury, lack of sleep, or fate.

[32] In her 2017 memoir Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Taught Me about God and Life, she finally revealed the underlying reason for her disappointing loss at the 2008 Olympics; one month before the games, Richards-Ross discovered that she was pregnant and decided to terminate the pregnancy the day before leaving for Beijing.

With the echoes of her Beijing loss still lingering into 2009, Richards-Ross began working with a sports psychologist, at the urging of coach Clyde Hart, to overcome her bouts of anxiety and emotional anguish.

Healthy and well-rested, Richards-Ross began her 2012 quest for the coveted individual Olympic gold medal by racing a full indoor schedule to warm up for her outdoor debut.

[50] Longtime teammate DeeDee Trotter and the 2011 world bronze medalist Francena McCorory finished second and third, respectively, and joined her on the 400 meters team.

[51] Once again, heading into the Olympic Games as the 400-meter favorite, she shouldered the same pressure and expectations, but this time, Richards-Ross was prepared to maintain her serenity amidst the vortex.

[53] From the sound of the gun, Richards-Ross executed a race opposite of the one four years ago, pushing hard out of the blocks before relaxing into a comfortable stride down the backstretch and entering the homestretch in the third position, behind Krivoshapka and DeeDee Trotter.

[59] The rule strived to prevent ambush marketing and concentrate viewer attention on messages from official Olympic sponsors, such as Coca-Cola and Visa, which had paid a hefty amount for exclusive partnerships with the Games, although none of the multi-billion dollar revenue trickled into athletes' pockets.

[63] Richards-Ross spoke at a news conference regarding the #WeDemandChange campaign on the following day and explained that although she was fortunate to have secured major sponsorships to continue her training and treatment, many athletes have to work two or three jobs to be able to afford to stay in the sport.

[64] Answering conference reporters, she said, "I’ve been very fortunate to do very well around the Olympics, but so many of my peers struggle in the sport, and I think it's unjust that they're not being considered, that athletes are not part of the conversation."

At the Olympic Village in London, Richards-Ross helped organize a group of track and field athletes to share their concerns, further their message to the IOC, and discuss potential regulation amendments to accommodate the athletes, with several options including permission to post sponsors on social media, clearance to wear non-Olympic sponsor logos, and IOC-funded prize money.

[72][73] Shortly after retiring, Richards-Ross joined the NBC broadcasting team as a track and field analyst for major events, such as the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Summer Olympics.

[74] While attending the University of Texas, Richards-Ross began dating Longhorn football cornerback Aaron Ross, who later won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants of the NFL.

[80][81] She began donning compression arm sleeves in competition to hide her ulcerated skin, but as a fashion enthusiast, later embraced the extra garment as part of her trademark look.

[83] Primarily shot at their home in Austin, the series also visited Florida, New York, and Jamaica, where she took Team SRR for an Olympic victory lap and celebration.