Sanya Richards-Ross revealed she had an abortion the day before she flew to Beijing for the 2008 Olympics in her book, “Chasing Grace,” released Tuesday.
Richards-Ross was the 400m favorite going into Beijing. In the final, she led by more than five meters entering the last 100m straightaway.
But Richards-Ross was passed by Brit Christine Ohuruogu and Jamaican Shericka Williams. Richards-Ross tearfully took bronze, saying a hamstring injury slowed her at the 300m mark.
“I literally prayed about that [revealing the abortion] for almost two years because it is something that is really private, and a lot of women don’t talk about it,” Richards-Ross said on a podcast.