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Jeremy Wariner Repeats as 400m World Champion

Posted August 31st, 2007 at 9:06 AM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Live Race Coverage

jeremy wariner 2007 osaka world championships 400m gold medal Going into the Men’s 400m final at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics from Osaka, Japan, Jeremy Wariner felt the 400m world record (Michael Johnson’s 43.18) was attainable. Three weeks earlier he had run a personal best of 43.50 at the Stockholm Super Grand Prix, making him the 3rd fastest 400m runner of all time, behind Johnson and Butch Reynolds.

Prior to that superb race in Stockholm, a fickle public had all but written him off. He’d had a bad race in Sheffield, England in which he stumbled at the start and did not finish the race. He’d been focusing on developing his speed all season by running more 200m Dashes than usual. Wariner is fast in the 200m, but not quite world class. Consequently, his world ranking had dipped somewhat in 2007.

After Stockholm, Wariner had returned home to Waco, Texas and had gotten in some of the best training performances of his young (23 years old) life. Some of his times in training were comparable to times Johnson had achieved just prior to his world record run. Wariner was ready:

“The confidence I have right now and how easy that 43.5 felt, I can go faster. I’m not going to be beaten unless I don’t run my own race. There’s no telling what I’ll be able to do at world championships now.”

He cruised through his opening heat, winning in a 45.10 and slowing so much that he was almost able to stop right at the finish line. In his semi-final heat, he won again, this time running a time of 44.34. Only LaShawn Merritt ran faster in the semi’s, running a 44.31. That was of no consequence to Wariner, who has run over a half second faster than Merritt’s personal best of 44.06. Angelo Taylor went in to the final with a personal best of 44.05. The three were expected to sweep the race for the USA. They lined up in the middle of the track – Taylor in lane 4, Merritt in lane 5 and Wariner in lane 6.

Merritt got off to the best start and was within striking distance of Wariner going into the curve. But that’s where Wariner made his patented surge. By the time they came out of the curve and into the homestretch, it was Wariner, Merritt and Taylor. Wariner stayed relaxed and pulled away, winning by 3 meters in 43.45, the world’s fastest time in 2007 and the 5th fastest time ever run in the 400m Dash. Merritt looked good in finishing second with a time of 43.96, joining for the first time the other 8 men that were already in the elite sub 44 club for 400m. Taylor completed the US sweep with a time of 44.32. Chris Brown of the Bahamas finished 4th with a time of 44.45, a national record. Here are the final results of the Men’s 400m Dash:

1. Jeremy Wariner (USA) 43.45
2. LaShawn Merritt (USA) 43.96
3. Angelo Taylor (USA) 44.32
4. Chris Brown (BAH) 44.45
5. Leslie Djhone (FRA) 44.59
6. Tyler Christopher (CAN) 44.71
7. Johan Wissman (SWE) 44.72
8. Avard Moncur (BAH) 45.4

With a few more Golden League meets left this season, Wariner could still break the world record this season. The schedule on his personal website shows no races beyond today’s gold medal world championship repeat, but he may want to take advantage of his superb fitness and keep going in either Weltklasse (Zurich), Memorial Van Damme (Brussels) or DKB-ISTAF (Berlin), the three remaining Golden League meets.

Sources: [USA Today] [Yahoo! Sport] [JeremyWariner.com]

University Update - Open Source - Wariner Repeats as World Champion in Men’s 400m Dash said:

[…] YouTube Wariner Repeats as World Champion in Men’s 400m Dash » This Summary is from an article posted at The Final Sprint (TFS) | The Internet’s Premier Running, Fitness, and Nutrition Publication on Friday, August 31, 2007 This article’s contents are copywritten by the author of The Final Sprint (TFS) | The Internet’s Premier Running, Fitness, and Nutrition Publication. Please click "View Original Article…" below to view the article. Summary Provided by Technorati.comView Original Article at The Final Sprint (TFS) | The Internet’s Premier Running, Fitness, and Nutrition Publication » 10 Most Recent News Articles About Open Source […]
August 31st, 2007 at 12:27 pm
Dee Spencer said:

I feel Chris Brown has a heart of a lion as is a Great Ahlete the came very far with out much resources, he should be rewarded the same recognition as the three Americans despite being in lane 8
September 1st, 2007 at 10:47 am