For 400m champion Jerome Young, it's been a long haul

More than a decade ago, Young was talked into taking up track by a teacher, but didn't fully realise at the time what he was getting into - "I didn't realize they were running cross country at the time."

But last night at the Stade de France, the Jamaican-born American knew precisely what he had gotten into.

"I knew that if I got out the first part of my race, and stayed focused on myself and not worry about anybody else in the race, that things would go well."

Apparently, he didn't worry too much about teammate Tyree Washington, who was among the most heavily favored athletes coming into the Championships.  Nor did he worry much about Marc Raquil and the boisterous crowd spurring him on.

And after two previous shots at a world title, the 27 year-old from Fort Worth, Texas struck gold, crossing the line in 44.50.

"Today was a big accomplishment," he said.  "I've been two other world championships and couldn't get a medal.  Today, I was able to execute my race and come out with a gold medal."

It's been some time since Young made a major splash internationally.  In 1997, he was third in the US championships, running a personal best 44.83, and followed that up with a fifth place performance at the World Championships, all before his 21st birthday. He ended the year with a 44.50 best, but quickly picked up where he left off the following season.  He won the NCAA Division II championship for St. Augustine's College in a PB 44.19, and just a few weeks later, lowered his best again to 44.09 while winning his first of two consecutive titles. With things going well, he gave up his final year of collegiate eligibilty after promising performances internationally --runner-up finishes at the Brussels GP, the Grand Prix Final, and World Cup.

In 1999, with his second national title behind him, he improved a notch at the World Championships, finishing fourth behind Michael Johnson's 43.18 world record. At just 23, he was viewed by many as a solid prospect to follow in Johnson's footsteps.

While he competed on the gold-winning 2000 Olympic and 2001 World Championship 4x100 relay squads, on an individual level, things just weren't coming together. Until this year. He was third at the national championships, his first top-three finish since 1999, and felt a strong  renewed sense of confidence on his road to Paris.

"I looked at those past years and realized I just had to be patient.  I told myself that I'm a champion if I keep on training."

"I think I still have it in me," he said of his late 90s form. "It's just a matter of time. I think this year was almost a comeback year --basically getting to know myself again, and getting back into my rhythm and getting back into my race. It feels good that everything worked out as planned."

Now that he's reached the top, slowing down in not in the gameplan.

"Hopefully next year, I can go back and figure out how to get back down into those low 44s. I had a great season this year, and hopefully will come out with a better season next year."