LaShawn Merritt

Athlete Results

2007 World Outdoor 400m silver medalist and 4x400m gold medalist; 2005 World Outdoor Championships 4x400m relay gold medalist; two-time USA Outdoor runner-up ('06, '07); 2006 USA Indoor runner-up; 2004 World Junior Championships gold medalist at 400m, 4x100m and 4x400m relays; 2004 USA Junior 200m and 400m champ; USATF's 2004 Verizon youth athlete of the year.
In 2007, Merritt finished one-hundredth of a second out of first place at the USA Outdoor Championships, running a season-best 44.06.
His 2006 season featured 400m wins at the Nike Prefontaine Classic, the Monaco Grand Prix and the IAAF World Cup. Third-place finish at the World Athletics Final (44.14) gave him a personal outdoor best time that helped propel him to a No. 3 world ranking from Track & Field News.
After a brilliant outdoor season in 2004 as a senior in high school, Merritt shocked the track world by becoming the second-fastest indoor 400m runner in history on Feb. 11, 2005 at the Powered by Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. He clocked what was then the third-fastest indoors time, 44.93 seconds.
Merritt left East Carolina's track program to turn professional prior to the end of his freshman indoor season.
In high school, he won three gold medals at the 2004 World Junior Championships, including the 400m. He also anchored Team USA to a world junior record in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.
As a prep star in Virginia, Merritt was the 2004 state 100m, 200m and 400m champion.