Sanya Richards continues her dominance over the 400m in the Golden League (© Getty Images)
leading 49.23 victory in Oslo, U.S. 400m record holder Sanya Richards will face another stiff challenge to her one-day meet supremacy when she'll face World 200m champion Allyson Felix at Rome's Golden Gala on Friday, 10 July, the third stop of the ÅF Golden League series.
Richards' dominating performance in Oslo was the fourth fastest of her career and the quickest since her US record run of 48.70 at the 2006 World Cup, keeping her alive in the hunt for a share of the $1 million ÅF Golden League Jackpot. It was her fourth win in five starts this year, in which she took down the strongest field assembled yet this season.
For Felix, who took another US 200m title with a windy 22.02 in Eugene late last month, it will be the third 400m outing of the season after victories in Doha, where she clocked 50.75, and in New York, where she ran 50.50, and beat Olympic silver medallist Shericka Williams.
The Rome field also includes Williams, who finished second to Richards in Oslo on Friday in 49.98, the second sub-50 performance of her career. Last month, she won the Jamaican title in 50.39.
Adding significant local interest to the race will be Libania Grenot, the 25-year-old who made a big step forward with her 50.30 dash to the Mediterranean Games title in Pescara three days ago. Not only was it a major improvement on her previous national record of 50.83 set in the Olympic semi-finals a year ago, but particularly impressive given that she won in Pescara by more than two full seconds.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
Richards' dominating performance in Oslo was the fourth fastest of her career and the quickest since her US record run of 48.70 at the 2006 World Cup, keeping her alive in the hunt for a share of the $1 million ÅF Golden League Jackpot. It was her fourth win in five starts this year, in which she took down the strongest field assembled yet this season.
For Felix, who took another US 200m title with a windy 22.02 in Eugene late last month, it will be the third 400m outing of the season after victories in Doha, where she clocked 50.75, and in New York, where she ran 50.50, and beat Olympic silver medallist Shericka Williams.
The Rome field also includes Williams, who finished second to Richards in Oslo on Friday in 49.98, the second sub-50 performance of her career. Last month, she won the Jamaican title in 50.39.
Adding significant local interest to the race will be Libania Grenot, the 25-year-old who made a big step forward with her 50.30 dash to the Mediterranean Games title in Pescara three days ago. Not only was it a major improvement on her previous national record of 50.83 set in the Olympic semi-finals a year ago, but particularly impressive given that she won in Pescara by more than two full seconds.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF