World Athlete of the Year Sanya Richards Launches IAAF Online Diaries

Monte Carlo - As the indoor season in the Northern hemisphere is shaping up and the outdoor season in the Southern hemisphere is getting underway, athletes around the world take different approaches to their 2007 goals.

A handful of world class athletes will share their ambitions, training tips and daily routine with their fans on http://www.iaaf.org/ through the IAAF Online Diaries which will help give an insight into the personalities of some of the sport’s leading figures.

By any measure, 2006 was an extraordinarily successful one for Sanya Richards. Undefeated in 13 finals in her specialty, the 400 metres, the 21-year-old won a share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot, lowered the long-standing American record in the event to 48.70 at the IAAF World Cup, and was named the World Athlete of the Year.

In this, her first diary of the 2007 season, Richards updates us on what she’s been doing since the end of her 2006 season, and on her early preparations for 2007.

In her spare time, Richards enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, Aaron Ross, a standout American football star at the University of Texas; bowling; watching films (primarily comedies); hanging out with her sister; and, yes, shopping.

She splits her time and training between Austin and Waco, Texas, where she trains with coach Clyde Hart and training partner Jeremy Wariner.

Click here to read Sanya’s Online Diary: http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=37416.html