LaShawn Merritt ran the race of his life when it mattered most to defeat defending Olympic and two-time world champion Jeremy Wariner in a 400m final showdown yesterday that ended with a US sweep.
Merritt, last year’s world runner-up to Wariner, won in 43.75 seconds, a lifetime best that only four runners in history have ever bettered. Wariner was a stunned second in 44.74 with David Neville completing the US haul in 44.80.
The best prior time for Merritt was 43.96 from his loss to Wariner in last year’s worlds.
PHOTO: AP
Merritt was third coming off the turn behind Neville in the outside lane and Wariner, who moved into the lead as he reached the straightaway for home.
But Merritt then surged past Wariner into the lead and stretched the gap with every stride.
Six strides from the line, Merritt glanced to his right and saw nothing but air in Wariner’s lane.
He powered to the line and Wariner could only hang his head in frustration after he finished as a man he dominated in the past year had taken his measure.
Merritt beat Wariner in June at Berlin to snap his rival’s nine-race win streak and again at the US trials. Wariner answered in Europe, running a pre-Beijing world best of 43.86 at Paris to win a month ago.
Wariner, 24, split with long-time coach Clyde Hart early this year over financial terms and Merritt, 22, is Hart’s new pupil.
US men have dominated the Olympic 400, now winning a seventh gold medal in the event and 12 of the past 14.
Wariner could not equal his career best of 43.45 from last year’s world final, which makes him the third-best all-time performer.
Christopher Brown of Bahamas, the third-fastest man this year, was fourth in 44.84 with France’s Leslie Djhone, seventh at the 2004 Olympics, next in 45.11 followed by Britain’s Martyn Rooney in 45.12, Trinidad and Tobago’s Renny Quow in 45.22 and world indoor runner-up Johan Wissman of Sweden last in 45.39.
Cuba’s Dayron Robles won the gold medal in the men’s 110m hurdles yesterday.
David Payne of the US won the silver and David Oliver of the US the bronze.
Meanwhile, the US’ miserable Olympic track and field campaign continued when their women’s 4x100m relay team went out in the first round.
The Americans blundered in the final exchange when the baton was dropped as it moved from Torri Edwards to Lauryn Williams on the final leg.
Williams in desperation ran back to pick up the baton, but it was an impossible task as she came in last.
For Williams it was a terrible case of deja vu, as in the 2004 final she had gone beyond the safety zone on the final exchange when third leg runner Marion Jones was trying to hand on the baton.
“If people want to issue the blame to me that’s okay,” said 24-year-old Williams, world individual champion over 100m in 2005.
“I mean I can take whatever it is that people are going to dish out. We had the chemistry, the hand was back there, she [Edwards] was there. I don’t know what happened,” she said.
The Americans had won this title nine times — most recently in 1996.
Yesterday’s horror show came just minutes after the US men’s team had also dropped the baton on their final exchange.
Tainan TSG Hawks slugger Steven Moya, who is leading the CPBL in home runs, has withdrawn from this weekend’s All-Star Game after the unexpected death of his wife. Moya’s wife began feeling severely unwell aboard a plane that landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday evening. She was rushed to a hospital, but passed away, the Hawks said in a statement yesterday. The franchise is assisting Moya with funeral arrangements and hopes fans who were looking forward to seeing him at the All-Star Game can understand his decision to withdraw. According to Landseed Medical Clinic, whose staff attempted to save Moya’s wife,
Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday homered for the fifth consecutive game, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record. Yankees star Aaron Judge was the last player to homer in five consecutive games, accomplishing that feat last year. Ohtani, who leads the National League with 37 home runs, homered in the first inning off Minnesota Twins starter Chris Paddack. He hit a slow curveball 134m to center. He carried the bat midway down the first-base line and then did a bat flip. He did not hit a home run later in the game with the Dodgers trailing, but his presence was felt. With two outs
Taiwan’s world No. 6 shuttler Chou Tien-chen yesterday defeated India’s H.S. Prannoy to advance to the quarter-finals of the China Open in Changzhou. It was former world No. 2 Chou’s eighth win in 14 matches against Prannoy, who had earlier this week lamented the age divide between him and up-and-comers, although he is only two years younger than 35-year-old Chou. The Taiwanese, who is seeded sixth at the tournament, rebounded from a close 21-18 loss in game 1 on Court 2 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium. He bounced back to take the next games 21-15, 21-8 and set up a tough quarter-final
The Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday acquired Taiwanese-American outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations to fill the roster after All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe was placed back on the injured list. Fairchild was designated for assignment by the Braves on Monday after hitting .216/.273/.333 in 28 games for Atlanta, with most of his work coming as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. He joins Tampa Bay as a versatile fourth outfielder option. To make room for Fairchild on the 40-man roster, the Rays transferred relief pitcher Manuel Rodriguez (forearm strain) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day
RSS