50.47 season opener for Sanya Richards in Waco (© Errol Anderson)
Sanya Richards opened her 2008 400m season with an impressive win at the Michael Johnson Invitational in Waco, Texas on Saturday, 19 April.
The two-time ÅF Golden League Jackpot winner won in 50.47 for an early-season world leader. Running smoothly for the first 250 to 275m, Richards said that the only major problem she encountered was the strong headwind in the final 100m.
“I am very excited to be back and running at this meet after missing it last year due to illness,” Richards said. “I felt great through the different phases of the race. Seeing that this is my first 400m of the year, I am very happy with the time to open up with.”
World and Olympic 400m champion won his specialty, clocking 44.56, also the fastest in the world thus far. Wariner described his run, his second over the full lap this year and the first since his victory in Melbourne on 21 February, as “cautious”.
“Coming out of the blocks out of the blocks I felt a little tightness in my hamstring that has been nagging me since the Texas Relays two weeks ago,” Wariner said. “I should be alright and ready to go at the Penn Relays next week. Overall I am happy with the time as it is my fist 400m since February.”
Errol Anderson for the IAAF