Sanya Richards-Ross Shares Why She Ran For USA, Not Jamaica

The four-time Olympic gold medalist said when she left Jamaica, she adapted to the American culture and decided to stay with Team USA.

Despite her roots in Jamaica, retired Olympic track and field champion Sanya Richards-Ross’s unwavering allegiance to Team USA over her native country, a direct rival in the track and field realm, has polarized opinions for years. Now, at 39, the sprint icon has shed light on the rationale underpinning the pivotal decision.

Richards-Ross fully adapted to American culture following a move from her homeland in Kingston, Jamaica. According to Pulse Sports, the legendary sprinter began running at the tender age of seven, representing her Kingston school, Vaz Prep, in annual youth championships. She moved to Florida with her family at 12 years old, with hopes of expanding her opportunities and landing a scholarship at an American university.

“Of course, when we were leaving Jamaica, I didn’t want to go,” she said.

When she was 16, the young competitor was invited by the U.S. junior team to compete at the Junior nationals. “At that point, I had been in the States for four years, all my friends are American, I had pretty much adapted to the culture here, but I went to sign up, and she was like, ‘Oh, we need your passport’,” Richards-Ross explained.

Determined to compete alongside her peers, Richards-Ross persuaded her parents to expedite their path to American citizenship. “It wasn’t until I made that decision that I realized, ‘Oh sh*t! Excuse me girl, what are you doing?'” she admitted. The sprinter became part of Team USA, and decided to stay.

The opportunity to don the red, white, and blue over Jamaica brought Richards-Ross numerous lucrative prospects. “To get the partnership deals I got and just, all of the things that I was able to benefit from, being an American Citizen and running for Team USA I think was the best decision for me,” she stated.

Richards-Ross reigned supreme in the 400m world rankings from 2005 to 2009 and again in 2012, etching her name in history by setting the American record at 48.70 seconds in 2006. Her prowess earned her the IAAF Female World Athlete of the Year accolade in 2006 and 2009, and she boasts an unparalleled record of 49 sub-50-second sprints throughout her illustrious career.

The former Team USA sprinter hasn’t abandoned her Jamaican roots. Richards-Ross took her family to Jamaica in 2023 to celebrate the sixth birthday of her oldest son, Aaron Jermaine Ross II, aka “Deuce,” who she shares with husband Aaron Ross.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star hosted her castmates in her homeland during a three-episode vacation in 2022. According to Caribbean National Weekly, the reality stars stayed at the newest five-star hotel in Jamaica, Ocean Eden Bay, visited the track at the National Stadium, and explored several other parts of the island.

In 2012, she visited Vaz Preparatory to speak to the student body and make a $10,000 donation to her alma mater, Jamaica Gleaner reported.