LaShawn Merritt

LaShawn Merritt (born June 27, 1986) is an American retired track and field athlete who competed in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 metres. Quotes I haven’t PR’d so it hasn’t been my best season yet. I’ve been running well and I made it to Beijing. That was my goal for this year. I’m feeling good. This is my first race after the trials and I’ll compete in another 400 in Paris, and then just get ready for Beijing. It wasn’t so much that 43 (second run in Osaka) that’s making me more motivated. It was more me getting second at the World championships. When you become second in the world, you’re just one spot away from being No. 1. That was pretty much my motivation, just knowing that I can be No. 1, that I’m just that close. As far as this year, I came in this year with the mentality that I want to be No. 1. I’ve been training harder than ever, and I’m more motivated than ever. And dedicated to the sport, to the 400. This year’s been going well, but it’s not the end yet. The big picture is the Olympic Games. I’ve had a great season so far and I’ll continue to have a great season. But it’s not over yet. It makes me know that I’m ready to run. Nothing spectacular happened. Last year at the trials I ran 44.05, this year I ran 44 flat. So I’m ready to run. It’s my first U.S. trials that I’ve won. It gave me a little boost of confidence, but I left that behind last week. This week I’m coming with a new game plan, and a new focus. I’m ready to compete here. Their U.S. trials showdown behind them, Wariner, Merritt now looking forward - ÅF Golden League, Rome, July 10 2008 It’s been a process. Me and my coach had a game plan. I came to these Olympics feeling better than I’ve ever felt. After the semi-finals, I was going to let nothing get in my way in the finals. I’m almost 6’3” (1.90m), and I looked at the semi-finals, and saw I was taking short steps. I actually learned from Usain Bolt’s race, and he’s what? – 6’5” (1.96m)! And he really opened up. I used to run like that in High School, before I became all technical. So I decided to come here and open up, and let it all fly. When I was running in High School, it was like an out-of-body experience. It was like both of us were running. Merritt changes his game plan after learning from Bolt, August 22 2008 You know what: It was all about putting it from my head to the track. I had already won the race in my heart. Everybody trains hard. I am playing the A game. This medal is for Jesse Owens, my family, my nephews and my fans. Warriner is a great champion. But I really wanted it. Warriner told me his gratulations. I ran this race a million times in my head. At 300m I felt good and at 350m I knew I had won the race, so I just needed to bring it home. I am planning on getting better and better every year. Only the sky is the limit. With all my many medals now, I will get more room for them in my house. And maybe get a bigger house, too (laughs). Now Jeremy and me need to get together to get the medal in the 4x400m. I felt good coming up for the first part of the race. I think I was on good position coming up for the turn. Exactly where I wanted to be at. I had to kick for it but unfortunatelly it was the slow finish. Before the USA's I had an ankle injury and it took time to heal it. It affected my preparation. I am in great shape but not race shape. I feel kind of disappointed because I wanted to defend my title. It was the slowest season for me but the next is going to be different, I guarantee. It feels good, but I'm a little disappointed. It's a huge accomplishment, the hard work paid off. I tried to run my own race and not see what the others were doing. But I wasn't that tired. The rain kind of messed up everything with the delay. In the future, I think I'll try to work my race plan a bit more. I'm still young, I still have a couple of years to prove myself. In the next years, I'll focus on getting the gold. Gold - LaShawn MERRITT, USA, August 21 2009 After the season, I pretty much just relaxed, just enjoyed myself. I had a great season, so enjoyed my six weeks off. There was a parade when I finally ended my season, it was great! The whole town of Portsmouth came out. It really was an experience of a lifetime. Before the Olympics, we had a big cookout in Portsmouth, with everybody wishing me luck. This time they were ready to celebrate. I didn’t really have time for a real vacation, since I had so many things going on. I went to a lot of places, but always did things. I had a lot of speaking engagements and photo shoots, and had plenty of people wanting me to do things. I spoke to a lot of youth in elementary schools, middle and high schools. I’ve also been spending a lot of time with my nephews, my younger sister Nee Nee’s sons. Antwon, who’s a year-a-half old, and Kwamé, who’s just a month old. We recently held the first LaShawn Merritt Invitational (31 Jan) at the Boo Williams Sportsplex, in Hampton, Virginia. It was great! More than 900 high school kids competed. It was sponsored through the LaShawn Merritt Foundation, which we began in December. It’s a way for me to give back to the community that supported me. We’ll have scholarships available, and we’ll help out in other ways that in turn will help local athletes get more exposure. When I was in high school, I was one of the best athletes in the country, but I didn’t have the funds to travel to some of the different major invitationals. So we’ll help with that as well. I’m heavily involved and doing a lot hands-on, but I can’t do everything. I have my job to do. Being Olympic champion means I have to work even harder. It takes a true champion to stay on top. I accomplished my goal last year, to become Olympic champion. But now is where the hard work starts. And now I’m working harder than ever before. You become the Olympic champion at the Olympic Games, and while I’m going into the new year as the Olympic champion, it’s a new year. The only thing that’s changed from last year is the intensity of the training. The workouts are getting harder. And I’m putting more dedication into it. So when it’s time to line up, there won’t be any excuses. Physically I’m about the same as last year, but mentally I’m a lot stronger. I feel like I haven’t lost anything. And that I can pick up where I left off. Olympic 400m champion creates LaShawn Merritt foundation - IAAF Online Diaries, February 10 2009 External links Category:1986 births Category:Track and field athletes Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists Category:African Americans