Merritt upsets Wariner to win 400-meter gold medal
(AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
United States’ gold medal LaShawn Merritt, center, is flanked by silver medal winner United States’ Jeremy Wariner, right, and bronze medal winner United States’ David Neville during the medal ceremony for the men’s 400-meter during the athletics competitions in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008.
Published: August 21, 2008
BEIJING (AP) _ Virginian LaShawn Merritt has upset defending champion Jeremy Wariner to lead a U.S. sweep of the medals in the 400 meters at the Olympics.
Merritt pulled away down the stretch Thursday night to win in 43.75 seconds — nearly a full second ahead of silver medalist Wariner, who finished in 44.74.
The third American in the final, David Neville, did a head-first dive across the finish line and wound up with the bronze in 44.80.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
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