Richards-Ross finishes with flourish, nabs elusive gold

On this trip to the Olympics, she closed the deal.

Four years after a late fade left her crying and wearing the Olympic bronze medal, Richards-Ross won the 400-meter gold she always thought she could.

“What I have learned is you don’t win the race until you win the race,” Richards-Ross said. “I knew I had to cross the finish line first to call myself the Olympic champion.”

She did it.

Nearly banging elbows with runners on both sides of her – and with the defending champion making up ground on the outside – Richards-Ross got stronger, not weaker, this time over the last 100 meters.

She surged to the finish, won by about a body’s length and punched her fist when she crossed the line in 49.55 seconds Sunday to give the U.S. its first track and field gold medal of the London Olympics.

“I just kept saying, ‘You can do this, you can do this,’ ” Richards-Ross said. “I just dug really deep and I’m very happy.”

Christine Ohuruogu of Britain, the gold medalist in 2008, finished second in 49.70 and American DeeDee Trotter – decked out in red, white and blue glitter on her face – won the bronze in 49.72.

This moment, though, belonged to Richards-Ross, whose parents relocated from Jamaica when she was 12, in part to advance what looked like a promising running career.

At the end, she wrapped herself in the American flag and went to the stands to embrace her husband, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Aaron Ross, who took time off from NFL training camp to travel to London.

“You finally did it, you finally did it, babe,” he told his wife. “Enjoy the moment.”

Back in Florida, the Jaguars invited about 1,200 fans into their stadium to watch their favorite adopted track star’s victory on the big screen.

Other track and field champions from Sunday included Ethiopia’s Tiki Gelana (women’s marathon), Kazakhstan’s Olga Rypakova (women’s triple jump), Hungary’s Krisztian Pars (men’s hammer throw) and Kenya’s Ezekiel Kemboi (men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase).

Gelana felt the marathon slipping away when she tumbled on the rain-slickened street about halfway through the race. With a bloodied right elbow, she recovered to win in 2 hours, 23 minutes, 7 seconds, holding off Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya by five seconds. Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova of Russia won the bronze in the typical rainy London weather.

U.S. marathoners Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher both had their sights set on medals but struggled in finishing 10th and 11th, respectively.

TENNIS

Serena Williams added another Olympic title when she teamed with sister Venus to beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4 in the women’s doubles final.

Serena also won the women’s singles tournament and is tennis’ first double gold medalist at an Olympics since Venus won singles and doubles at the 2000 Sydney Games. The sisters also won the doubles gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Third-seeded Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova of Russia took the bronze by beating the top-seeded U.S. pair of Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

BASKETBALL

Diana Taurasi had 22 points and the U.S. women matched their Olympic scoring record in a 114-66 rout of China.

The Americans’ 38th consecutive victory in Olympic play gave them the top seed in the group for the quarterfinals. The U.S. will meet Canada on Tuesday.

Angel McCoughtry scored 16 as the women equaled the 114 points they scored against Spain in 1992, but fell well short of the women’s Olympic mark of 128 points set by Brazil in 2004.

France finished undefeated in pool play, beating Russia 65-54, and will play the Czech Republic in the quarters. Turkey meets Russia and Australia faces China in the other matchups in the next round.

GYMNASTICS

McKayla Maroney was all set to add the vault title to her team gymnastics gold with the U.S. when she made a costly mistake. She appeared to land her second vault on the back of her heels. Her feet slid out from under her, and she plopped on the mat, a look of shock crossing her face.

“I really didn’t deserve to win a gold medal if I fall on my butt,” Maroney said. “I was still happy with a silver, but it’s still just sad.”

Sandra Izbasa of Romania won the gold, and Russia’s Maria Paseka took the bronze.

Britain’s Louis Smith and Hungary’s Krisztian Berki finished with identical 16.066 scores on the pommel horse, but Berki got the gold because his execution score of 9.166 was .10 points better. A tiebreaker also cost Smith in Beijing, when he dropped from second to third on the same event.

Also, Zou Kai won his fifth career gold medal, defending his title in floor exercise. He already had one gold from China’s victory in the men’s team competition and has three more from the Beijing Games.

BOXING

The Olympics’ year of the woman hit another milestone when women’s boxing made its debut in the games. The tournament began with 12 entertaining bouts featuring uppercuts, haymakers and footwork that all measure up nicely to the men’s amateur sport.

Russia’s Elena Savelyeva won the first fight with a busy jab and strong combinations. American lightweight Queen Underwood lost 21-13 to Britain’s Natasha Jonas.

The crowd roared for every fighter, clearly enjoying the tight competition and disciplined styles.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor beat Italy in straight sets in the quarterfinals to remain on track for a third consecutive Olympic gold medal.

The Americans earned a berth in the semifinals against Beijing bronze medalists Xue Chen and Zhang Xi. The Chinese team has beaten the two-time defending Olympic champions the last three times they’ve met.

The No. 2 U.S. women’s team of Jennifer Kessy and April Ross also advanced, beating the Czech Republic, 25-23, 21-18. Kessy and Ross next play reigning world champions Juliana and Larissa of Brazil.

VOLLEYBALL

The undefeated U.S. women’s team lost captain and three-time Olympian Lindsey Berg to a left ankle injury during a straight-set win over Turkey.

The Americans breezed through the second set and led 9-5 in the third before Berg limped off the court. The setter removed her shoe, and a trainer wrapped the ankle in ice.

Berg said she didn’t think the injury was serious and she should be ready to play in Tuesday’s quarterfinal against the Dominican Republic.

Destinee Hooker scored 19 points in the 27-25, 25-16, 25-19 victory for the U.S., which had clinched the top seed in its pool.

WATER POLO

The United States will face Australia in a matchup of gold-medal contenders in the semifinals of the women’s tournament. The Americans beat European champion Italy 9-6 to reach the last four, and Australia moved on with a dramatic 20-18 win over China.

Hungary plays Spain in the other semifinal on Tuesday.

DIVING

China’s Wu Minxia won the women’s 3-meter springboard for her first individual gold and record-tying sixth career medal.

Wu led all but one round of the five-dive final, totaling 414.00 points. She tied retired countrywoman Guo Jingjing with six medals. Wu and partner He Zi also won the 3-meter synchronized title in London.

He took the silver with 379.20, giving China its sixth diving medal of the games, including five gold, after sweeping the synchro events.

Laura Sanchez Soto of Mexico earned the bronze at 362.40.

BADMINTON

Lin Dan led the way as China swept all five badminton gold medals at the Olympics, defending his title by beating Malaysian rival Lee Chong Wei 15-21, 21-10, 21-19 in men’s singles.

WEIGHTLIFTING

The weightlifting gold medal in the women’s super heavyweight class went to China’s Zhou Lulu, who won a terrific duel with Russia’s Tatiana Kashirina. Americans Sarah Robles and Holley Mangold were seventh and 10th, respectively.