Sanya Richards

ZURICH (AP):

US sprinter Sanya Richards says the prospect of losing the first of her two Olympic gold medals because of a teammate's doping is heartbreaking.

Richards said yesterday that the United States team's 4x400-metre relay victory at the 2004 Athens Games was special because it was her Olympic debut.

"It was my first Olympics and one of the highlights of my career, one of my best memories," Richards said.

"To have that stripped away is not a good feeling. It's heartbreaking," she said, at a launch in Zurich for the city's Diamond League meeting on August 19.

Now the individual 400 world champion, Richards said she's praying that the five Athens teammates of Crystal Cox, whose doping offences came to light in January, can eventually keep their title and medals.

"I haven't heard anything so I'm just praying it might go away, but I know that's probably not going to happen," Richards said.

The US Anti-Doping Agency said in January that Cox had admitted using anabolic steroids during her career. She accepted a four-year suspension and disqualification of her results from 2001-04.

Cox ran in the Athens preliminary heat with Moushaumi Robinson, Monique Henderson and Richards. The US quartet in the final was DeeDee Trotter, Henderson, Richards and Monique Hennagan.

The IAAF governing body recommended in March that the US women's team be stripped of their Athens victory.

It changed its rules before the 2004 Olympics so that relay rosters could be disqualified for the doping of just one member.

suspension

An International Olympic Committee panel led by vice-president Thomas Bach is examining the case.

Richards said US officials broke the news of Cox's suspension by conference calls with the Athens medalists.

"Disappointed is not the word. We were really, really upset about it," Richards said.

Cox later reached out to some team members, said Richards, who rejoined with Henderson when the US women defended their 4x400 title at the 2008 Beijing Games.

"She hasn't spoken to me herself," Richards said. "I definitely would love to speak to Crystal to get her perspective."

Richards, who married NFL cornerback Aaron Ross in the off season will miss the opening Diamond League meet on Friday in Doha, Qatar. She will stay in Zurich to speed her recovery from an injury to her right quad muscle sustained last month at the Penn Relays.

She plans to make her debut in the new, 14-city elite series on June 4 in Oslo, and stay undefeated through the season.