Sanya Richards looks to shine in the spotlight

The glare has been on U.S. quarter-miler Sanya Richards for three years.

She usually matches it with her billion-megawatt smile or the reflection from the giant rock that New York Giants defensive back Aaron Ross gave her as an engagement ring.

Sunday night, when the lights from the dozens of broadcast booths at the National Stadium hit her after she qualified for Tuesday's Olympic 400-meter final, Richards reeled in a way that made those watching wonder if she had another relapse of Behcet's syndrome at the worst time.

"I just felt light-headed," Richards said.

In 2007, when Richards was coming off the best year of her career, she failed to make the U.S. world championship team in the 400 because so much training time had been lost to Behcet's, an inflammation of the blood vessels.

Richards was among several athletes who had stomach problems, including food poisoning, at the U.S. track team's recent Olympic training camp in Dalian, China. Shalane Flanagan, who recovered to win a bronze medal in Friday's 10,000 meters, suffered the most.

"I don't think it was anything major," Richards said of her stomach issues, which lasted one day.

Richards (49.9) was easily the fastest qualifier for the final, in which she will try to win the first global individual title of her already exceptional career.

She finished second at the 2005 worlds and sixth at the 2004 Olympics, when she was just 19 and won gold on the 1,600-meter relay.

"I feel like I need to prove to everyone that I can win when it counts," Richards said.

Philip Hersh covers Olympic sports for the Times and the Chicago Tribune.