Kerron Clement staked his claim to the title in the final day, while Sanya
Richards' performance on Saturday earned her the title of 2005 Visa
Champion at the 2005 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships,
presented by Visa.The men's and women's Visa Championships go to the man and woman
with the top individual performances of the 2005 Outdoor Visa
Championship Series. A cash prize of $25,000 each to go toward
helping the winners fulfill their Olympic dreams, plus a trip to a premier
Visa-sponsored event, go to Clement and Richards.
Clement's remarkable time of 47.24 seconds on Sunday in the 400
meter hurdles, the fastest time in that event in seven years, vaulted him
to the win in the Race for the Championship with 1,261 points.
Indoor Visa Champion John Godina and Olympic gold medalist Justin
Gatlin had been tied heading into USA Outdoors with 1,253 points.
Gatlin's top 100m time of 9.84w at the Nike Prefontaine Classic on June
4 gave him the tie with Godina, whose world-leading shot put of 22.20m/
72-10 came at the adidas Track Classic. But neither mark was enough
to withstand Clement's run.
Michelle Perry had entered the USA Outdoor Championships in first
place among the women, her 100-meter hurdles time of 12.45 at the
Reebok Grand Prix earning her 1212 points. But Richards seized the
title on Saturday when her world-leading 400-meter time of 49.28
garnered 1,226 points. Lashinda Demus' personal-best 53.35 in the 400
hurdles on Saturday put her just one point behind, with 1,225.