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That time, the final 100 meters of her race was a disaster. Leading coming into the stretch, she fell back dramatically, and a few minutes later, Ohuruogu was clutching the gold and Richards-Ross was crying in the lower level of the Bird's Nest.
Quite a different result this time around -- and quite a different scene at the finish.
"The run was phenomenal," Richards-Ross said. "It's very, very challenging to get on the Olympic stage and give your best performance, to balance your emotions and physical. It's a huge weight off my shoulders. I kept telling myself, `You are the champ. You are the champ.' To go out there and actually accomplish it is really fantastic."
She's been through quite a lot over the past four or five years.
Health issues almost certainly contributed to the bronze medal in Beijing. Richards-Ross spent five years fighting an autoimmune disease called Behcet's syndrome, but after a visit to a different doctor, she thinks she's been misdiagnosed.
Fighting her illness -- which causes fatigue, sores around her mouth and splotchy skin -- with a new treatment, the five-time U.S. champion arrived in London feeling as good as she has in years.
It showed in this race -- the warm-up act for the men's 100-meter final won by Usain Bolt. Shortly after Bolt's celebration was over, Richards-Ross had the stage again for her medals ceremony. The U.S. national anthem played and Richards-Ross closed her eyes and sang the lyrics. Sweet music for a victory she's been seeking for four years.
"She worked so hard," Aaron Ross said. "All the emotions going through her mind, my mind, her family's mind, everybody that's seen the struggles. It's just a great moment right now."
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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