LaSHAWN MERRITT
Event: 400m
Height: 6-2
Weight: 182
PR: 43.96 (2007)
Born: June 27, 1986, in Portsmouth, Va.
Current Residence: Suffolk, Va.
High School: Woodrow Wilson (Portsmouth, Va.) ‘04
College: East Carolina ‘08
Coach: Dwayne Miller
Agent: Kimberly Holland
Club: Nike  

Career Highlights: 2008 Olympic gold medalist…2008 Olympic Trials champion; 2007 World Outdoor 400m silver medalist and 4x400m gold medalist; 2-time USA Outdoor runner-up (’06, ’07); 2006 USA Indoor runner-up; 2005 World Outdoor 4x400m relay gold medalist; 2004 World Junior gold medalist at 400m, 4x100m & 4x400m relays; 2004 USA Junior 200m & 400m champ; USATF’s 2004 Verizon Youth Athlete of the Year

Merritt dominated the 2008 Olympic Games final in sprinting down the final straight unchallenged and winning in the personal best time of 43.75 seconds, which is the fastest time in the world this year. Also in Beijing, Merritt combined with Angelo Taylor, Jeremy Wariner and David Neville to win Olympic gold in the 4x400m relay in the Olympic record time of 2:55.39. With his dramatic win over reigning world and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Merritt took a giant step towards staking his claim as the world’s best 400m runner. Merritt also defeated Wariner on June 1, 2008 with his 44.03 clocking in Berlin, Germany. Merritt became the ninth sprinter ever to break the 44-second barrier in the men’s 400 meters in winning the silver medal at the 2007 World Outdoor Championships in Osaka, Japan, with his time of 43.96 seconds. Also in Osaka, Merritt won a gold medal in the men’s 4x400m relay. Merritt finished just one-hundredth of a second out of first place at the USA Outdoor Championships in a then season-best time of 44.06. He ended the 2007 ranked #2 in the world by T&FN, which is his highest placing ever. His 2006 season featured 400m wins at the Nike Prefontaine Classic, the Monaco Grand Prix and the IAAF World Cup. His third-place finish at the World Athletics Final in 44.14 seconds gave him a new personal outdoor best that helped propel him to the #3 ranking in the world by Track & Field News. After a brilliant outdoor season in 2004 as a high school senior, Merritt shocked the world in becoming, at the time, the second-fastest indoor 400-meter runner in history on February 11, 2005 at the Powered by Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The 18-year-old clocked the third-fastest time ever indoors finishing in 44.93 seconds to win the race, but Kerron Clement’s 44.57 WR a month later at NCAA Indoors moved Merritt to 3rd fastest athlete and 4th fastest time. It is the fastest time ever run by a junior (19-and-under) athlete indoors. Also in 2005, Merritt won a gold medal in the 4x400m relay by running the third leg for Team USA in the opening round of competition at World Outdoors. As an 18-year-old, Merritt left East Carolina’s track program to turn professional prior to the end of his freshman indoor season. Merritt as a high-schooler won three gold medals at the 2004 World Junior Championships, including the 400 meters, and anchoring Team USA to world junior records in the 4x100 and 4x400m relays. As a prep star in Virginia, Merritt was the 2004 state 100m, 200m and 400m champion and the 2003 state 400m champion. Merritt is enrolled at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. Website: wwwlashawnmerrittusa.com.

2008: Olympic Trials champion (44.00)…Olympic 4x400m gold medalist (2:55.39()…1st at Nike Prefontaine Classic (44.65)…1st at Berlin (44.03)…1st at Baie Mahault (44.34)…1st in 200m at Doha (20.08)…1st in Greensboro (19.80w)
2007: World Outdoor 4x400m gold medalist (2:55.56)...World Outdoor 400m silver medalist (43.96PR)...USA Outdoor runner-up (44.06)…Tyson Invitational Indoor champion (45.51)…2nd at Reebok Grand Prix (45.09)…2nd at Nike Prefontaine Classic (45.17)…1st at Kingston (44.95)…1st at Paris (44.62)…1st at Rome (44.44)…1st at Monaco (44.38)…1st in 200m at Thessaloniki (20.02)…2nd at London (44.23)…ranked #2 in world, #2 U.S. by T&FN…best of 43.96.
2006: USA Outdoor runner-up (44.50)…1st at World Cup (44.54)…3rd at World Athletics Final (44.14PR)…runner-up at USA Indoor Champs (46.17)…1st at Nike Prefontaine Classic (44.88)…4th at Rome (44.77)...5th at Lausanne (20.10)…2nd at Stockholm (20.25)…ranked #3 in world (#2 U.S.) by T&FN…best of 44.14.
2005: 4th at USA Outdoor Champs (44.73)...2nd in 400m at Nike Prefontaine Classic (45.57)...1st at Powered by Tyson Invitational (44.93i), the 3rd fastest indoor time in history…1st at Kingston, Jamaica (44.66PR)…ranked #10 in the world (#5 U.S. by T&FN)…best of 44.93i.
2004: 2004 World Junior 400m ( 45.25), 4x100m (38.66WJR) & (3:01.09WJR) gold medalist…USA Junior champion (200m-20.72), (400m-46.80)…ranked #9 in U.S. by T&FN…best of 45.25.
2003: Virginia State HS 100m (10.47), 200m (21.13) & 400m (47.69) champion…best of 47.69.

08/26/08