A Racer's Dozen
by Devon Jeffreys
For LaShawn Merritt, another meet this past weekend could only mean one thing: another win. LaShawn cruised to yet another victory in the 400 with a time of 44.93 on Saturday in the World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki, Greece. LM’s pace bested his closest competition, Chris Brown of the Bahamas (45.49), by more than half a second.
Despite being well off of his own personal best, the world's 400m king was pleased to secure yet another win to add to his mantle. As he told TrackAlerts.com:
“I got out smooth, though the time was not good. But you can not expect to run faster at the end of the season. All that matters is to win,” said Merritt.”
With his latest win, LaShawn extended his unbeaten run to 12 straight races and continues to prove there’s no one in the world better in the 400.
LM hasn’t been defeated in the 400m since July of 2008, when he finished second at the Golden Gala in Rome.
“I think I can now be called the best 400 m runner – I have earned that,” he said.
NEXT UP: THE RECORD
With the Olympic and world titles now his, LaShawn has some loftier goals in mind for next season. As detailed by World-Track.com:
Merritt dethroned fellow countryman and former world no.1 Jeremy Wariner of his 400 metres titles at both the Beijing Olympics and Berlin world championships and he now sets his sights on Michael Johnson’s 43.18 seconds world record.
"I think about Michael Johnson’s record like I want to get there, but I don’t go into a race thinking about it," said Merritt, who owns a personal record of 43.75secs.
"But the world record is a goal of mine and I definitely feel like I’ve got that extra bit of time in me."
RELATED STORIES
Gay edges Powell in 100 (New York Times, Sept. 13, 2009)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/sports/13sportsbriefs-gay.html
Regions athletes excel at World Athletics Final (Trackalerts.com, Sept. 12, 2009)
http://www.trackalerts.com/?p=3297
Gay beats Powell in 100 at World Final in Greece (Associated Press, Sept. 13, 2009)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hwZlKunAiOw2Ph8eRaK8Bd...
Merritt targets fast times and Johnson’s 400m world record next year (World-Track, Sept. 8, 2009)
http://www.world-track.org/?p=4823
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