Lashawn Merritt
Lashawn Merritt
The rivalry is not yet Ali-Frazier, Russell-Chamberlain or McEnroe-Borg, but LaShawn Merritt and Jeremy Wariner may be forging a classic matchup in the 400 meters. Merritt made it two wins in three races against Wariner, who has ruled the event since 2004 with an Olympic and two world championship titles, in Thursday’s final at the Olympic track & field trials. The U.S. team for next month: Merritt (44.00), Wariner (44.20) and David Neville (44.61). 3
The night belonged to the under dog, LaShawn Merritt, who again executed a race that put pressure on champion at the early part of the race. At the first part of the race, Wariner allowed Merritt to get away from him and build up a sizable lead. Wariner misplaced his kick, while Merritt ran home strong for the win. Third place finisher David Neville (44.61) ran his fastest ever to make the team. 6
The expected Merritt-Wariner matchup in Thursday’s final is drawing great interest. Wariner is 14-3 against Merritt in head-to-head races both have finished, including two in Europe last month after Merritt beat him at the U.S. Olympic Trials. 4
‘ For awhile there Jeremy Wariner looked unbeatable. The young Texan won double gold in the 400 meters and as anchor on the 4×100 relay at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. 2
No surprise that Wariner did not add gasoline in advance of Tuesday’s semifinals and Thursday’s final. It isn’t his nature. Besides, he is 14-3 against Merritt in races in which both started and finished. 8
Jeremy is in good shape, he has already run 43 seconds this season. When you run under 44 seconds, it?s a very big thing. The issue is that Jeremy let Merritt get too far ahead in early stages of the race. Jeremy made some mistakes in his race today, he used his kick some where he was not supposed to use his kick and he knows this.? 7
China’s Fei Cheng (L) and United States’ Alicia Sacramone congratulate each other after women’s team final of the artistic gymnastics event of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing on August 13, 2008. China won the gold, while United States won the silver and Romania the bronze. 9
Merritt first became a star as an 18 year old at the 2005 Tyson Invitational, when he won the 400 meters in 44.93 seconds, a performance which eventually led him to forgo the remainder of his collegiate eligibility at East Carolina and become a professional. Since then, Merritt is the 2006 World Cup champion and the 2006 USA Outdoor Championships runner-up. 5
