EUGENE, Ore. -- Allyson Felix blocked out the knifing agony in her right ankle and made her first run at Olympic Trials look like a jog Friday night.
Sanya Richards-Ross felt a different kind of pain.
On a night Felix cruised on auto-pilot in the 400-meter qualifying round to keep her chance at a 200-400 double alive, Richards-Ross pulled up 250 meters into her lap around the track -- her hamstring too tight to carry on.
"I've had an amazing career," Richards-Ross, 31, said. "To have my last race be here, at Hayward Field, in front of these fans, it's incredible."
In addition to her four Olympic gold medals, including the individual title at the London Games, Richards-Ross holds the stadium record in Eugene. It was here, five weeks ago at the Prefontaine Classic, that fans got a glimpse of what might be coming. Richards-Ross finished seventh that day.
In this one, her first 15 steps out of the blocks were smooth, but she quickly slowed from a sprint to a trot. By the time she hit the first curve on the backstretch, she was jogging. And then she pulled up completely.
"Most fans have seen my heart through my running," Richards-Ross said. "I don't win every time I step on the track. I don't deserve the ovation because I'm always a champion. But I think they see my heart, my determination, my desire to be a good person."
Felix finished second in her heat, with a time of 51.96 seconds, then headed straight to the trainer's room for treatment.
She hurt the ankle in the spring and has had a rough time coming back -- forced to do most of her running the wrong way around the track so as not to put the injured ankle at more risk.
She has less than 18 hours to recover. Her semifinal heat is set for this afternoon.
Galen Rupp won the 10,000 meters in a time of 27 minutes, 55.04 seconds and is now qualified for both the 10K and the marathon.
High jumper Amy Acuff, 40, a five-time Olympian, failed to qualify and said this was her last meet.
Sports on 07/02/2016