American Record: Sanya Richards, 48.70
2007 U.S. Champion: Dee Dee Trotter, 49.64
2004 Olympic Trials Champion: Monique Hennagan, 49.56
Top 5 Seed Times
1.) Sanya Richards, 49.27
2.) De’Hashia “Dee Dee” Trotter, 49.64
3.) Natasha Hastings, 49.84
4.) Mary Wineberg, 50.24
5.) Monique Henderson, 50.80
In a perfect world, Sanya Richards would return to her form from 2006, where she won the IAAF performer of the year award and set the American record of 48.70. That said, 2008 hasn’t been bad to her, either. Currently ranked third in the world, Richards, 23, enters the Olympic Trials with the top seed of 49.27 seconds, almost a third of a second faster than her next competitor, De’Hashia “Dee Dee” Trotter. Richards holds two of the top five times in the world this year and is the odds-on favorite to win the Trials 400 meters and contend for the gold in Beijing, as well.
Despite Richards’ performance two years ago, Trotter is the reigning U.S. champion in the 400, where she ran her personal best of 49.64. Trotter could be in the medal hunt in Beijing, too, with her experience winning a gold medal on the U.S. 4x400m team at the 2003 and 2007 World Championships, and the 2004 Olympics.
Natasha Hastings joins Richards and Trotter as the only three women to enter with times of sub-49 seconds. She was runner-up at the U.S. Outdoor Championships last year after sweeping that year’s NCAA indoor and outdoor titles at the distance. Her time at the U.S. championships of 49.84 set a collegiate record.
Mary Wineberg has jumped into the world scene after sprinting a 50.32 at the Prefontaine Classic on June 8. That time is the fifth best in the world this year, but still .08 off her personal best from 2007.
Monique Henderson’s best of 49.96 was set back in 2005 but she has the experience, a 4x400m gold medal in Athens, to make it back as an individual. This year, she’s placed fifth at the Reebok Grand Prix and Adidas Track Classic, with a fastest time of 51.61.