Jeremy Wariner after his dominating win in Osaka (© Getty Images)
No rivalry has energized the sport more this summer than that between Americans Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt. Indeed, their’s will be one of the most eagerly-anticipated duels on the Games.
Wariner, 24, has dominated the event since leading a U.S. medal sweep in Athens four years ago. After finishing a distant second to his rival at the World championships a year ago, Merritt, 22, has emerged as the first significant threat to Wariner’s dominance. In fact, since his narrow victory over Wariner at the AF Golden League opener in Berlin, where he won by a mere 0.04 seconds in 44.03, few events on the track have attracted more pre-meet hype. The stakes went higher still when Merritt took his first national title at the U.S. trials three weeks later in Eugene, when he won in 44.00, a hefty 0.20 ahead of Wariner.
But the lanky Texan, who since his victory four years ago has gradually risen among the ranks of the event’s all-time fastest – he’s currently No. 3 after his 43.45 in Osaka last August – will nonetheless start as the man to beat at Beijing’s National Stadium.
In Wariner’s favor are two key elements: as defending champion, as well as the two-time defending World champion, he obviously has the major stage experience. The other is that he’s been considerably faster. This season he’s twice dipped under 44 seconds. His first, a 43.98 victory in Oslo, was the earliest in the season he’s ever stopped the clock in the 43s.
And he carries a bit of confidence-boosting momentum as well – not that either of these runners lack self-assurance. After his pair of back-to-back losses, Wariner was in a must-win situation in Rome, and he came through with a narrow 0.01 second victory. A week later in Paris, he won again and it wasn’t particularly close after he crossed the line in a world-pacing 43.86 to Merritt’s 44.35. (A bit of trivia: watch the lane draws. Both of Merritt’s victories came when he was lined up to the inside of Wariner. Wariner won his last two with Merritt to his outside.)
Only one man has ever captured back-to-back Olympic 400m titles: Wariner’s manager, mentor and confidant, Michael Johnson (1996/2000), whose 43.18 World record Wariner is chasing.
Aiming to replicate the 2004 U.S. podium sweep will be David Neville, the 24-year-old Californian who produced his 44.61 career best when it mattered most, clinching the third U.S. spot after the event’s Big 2. He followed up with a pair of fourth place showing in July but has only won one race this year.
In the shadows of Wariner and Merritt, Bahamian Chris Brown has produced a notable season to arrive in Beijing as a solid podium threat. Fourth at the last World championships, the 29-year-old improved his national record to 44.40 in Oslo and most ran 44.53 in Stockholm, on both occasions finishing second to Wariner. He’ll be joined by compatriot Andretti Bain, this year’s NCAA champion (44.62), while Martyn Rooney, who has energized the event in Great Britain, has strong momentum on his side. In London, he dipped under 45 seconds for the first time, running 44.83 and just three days later improved to 44.72in Monaco.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
