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Former Texas Longhorn Sanya Richards-Ross became the first American track and field athlete to win a gold medal in the London Olympics as she won the 400m. Richards-Ross rebounded from a disappointing third-place finish in Beijing to win gold in London, and she has waited four years for redemption.
All along during the race Richards-Ross kept telling herself "you are the champ:"
"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."
Richards-Ross defeated Great Britain's Christine Ohuruogu who was the defending Olympic champion, and American DeeDee Trotter, who was leading with less than 100 meters before fading away finished with the bronze medal. This win for Richards-Ross was her first individual Olympic gold medal.
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