Stockholm, Sweden - USA's Sanya Richards is coming to DN Galan, at Stockholm Olympic Stadium Tuesday, 7 August to get a 1-carat diamond, but first she wants to get a personal best in the 100 metres.
The DN Galan is a Super Grand Prix status meeting as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007.
"I would like to set a new stadium record in the 400 metres at the DN Galan and get a diamond," confirms the 2006 World Athlete of the Year. "I saw the one Jeremy Wariner got last year, (44.02 for a new 400m stadium record) and it is very beautiful."
The reason Richards has decided to warm up with the 100 metres is that she will run the 200 metres at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Osaka, Japan (25 Aug to 2 Sep).
"It is time for me to better my personal best of 11.28 from 2003, says Richards who has chosen Stockholm as the site for her only 100 and 400m double.
The world's number one will get the best possible opposition at the DN Galan.
"We have the top six in the 400 metres this year," says meeting director Rajne S?derberg. Five of the runners have been under 50 seconds and they have run a total of 30 sub-50 second races, so it will be a very fast race.
Richards will face this year's US Champion Dee Dee Trotter, USA, (49.64), Natasha Hastings, USA, (49.84), Novlene Williams, Jamaica, (49.53), Edmonton 2001 World Champion Ami Mbacke Thiam, Senegal, (49.86) and Mary Wineberg, USA, (50.24) who was third at the US trials.
Richards was only fourth in the 400 metres at the USA Nationals in Indianapolis in June and thus will not start in the event where she got silver at the World Championships in Helsinki 2005.
"It was very disappointing, but life goes on," Richards told reporters after the race. "I am happy to run 200m and the 4x400m relay in Osaka."
Richards was bothered by illness this spring, and lost important training time but while she failed to qualify in the 400 metres in Indianapolis, she rallied and came second in the 200 metres.
"That was a wonderful feeling. Now I get to run one individual race and the relay and I really want to make the best out of the situation."
(Credit: IAAF. Click here for further information.)
