06/12/2009 - 16:47
LaShawn Storms to Toronto Triumph
by Matt Martino

The conditions were less than ideal on a rainy Thursday in Toronto at the Festival of Excellence, but a slick track couldn’t slow down LaShawn Merritt in the 400m.

The reigning Olympic champion dominated the last 200 meters to win the event in 44.83 seconds.

"I pretty much cleared the field," LaShawn said. "I was coming down the home stretch and saw that I was in the lead. In a week and a half, I have my nationals. I wanted to come in and get a good race, I got a good race."

"My thing is my time doesn’t really matter. If I run a race, I know what I did wrong. But if I am feeling good that’s what really matters, Right now I am feeling great."

The U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships will take place June 25-28 in Eugene, Ore.

Merritt has the world leading mark (44.50) in the 400 this year.

RAINY DAY
There was no doubt that the rain slowed all competitors involved. As LaShawn noted, however, the wet conditions also provided for an equal playing field:

"It wasn’t the best conditions. But everyone ran in the same weather. I am all about whenever I step on the track it’s going to be equal. It drizzled in my lane, it drizzled in everybody else’s lane. It’s 400m you still got to go out and do what you go to do. We’re professionals. In any conditions at any given time you should be ready to go out and run."

BOLT
Coming into Thursday’s event, there were rumblings about world-record holder Usain Bolt competing in the 400m meters.

One reporter asked Bolt if he was ready to take on LaShawn. Bolt’s response was an adamant, "I’m not running a 400m!"

In February, he recorded a 400m time of 45.54 in Kingston, Jamaica.

RELATED STORIES
Bolt beats the rain - 10.00sec in Toronto (IAAF.org, June 12, 2009)
http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=51054.html
LaShawn Merritt takes 400 meters in event in Toronto (Virginian-Pilot, June 12, 2009)
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/06/lashawn-merritt-takes-400-meters-event-t...

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