USA Championships
2009 USA Outdoor champion (44.50)
2008 Olympic Trials champion (44.00)
Two-time USA Outdoor runner-up - 2006 (44.50); 2007 (44.06)
2006 USA Indoor runner-up (46.17)
2004 USA Junior 200m (20.72) and 400m (46.80) champion
International Championships
2008 Olympic 400m (43.75) and 4x400m (2:55.39) gold medalist
2007 World Championships 400m silver medalist (43.96) and 4x400m gold medalist (2:55.56)
2005 World Outdoor 4x400m gold medalist (2:56.91)
2004 World Junior triple-gold medalist - 400m (45.25); 4x100m (38.66); 4x400m (3:01.09)
World Junior record-holder 4x100m (38.66), 4x400m (3:01.09)
Collegiate Championships/Honors
2004 USATF Verizon Youth Athlete of the Year
About LaShawn
LaShawn Merritt served a 21-month doping suspension and returned shortly before the 2011 World Outdoor Championships where he won a silver medal. In 2008 Merritt took a major step forward in his career in winning a pair of Olympic gold medals in the 400m and 4x400m. He blistered the field in the 400m to win by 0.99 seconds, which was the largest margin of victory in an Olympic 400m final since 1896. The rivalry he created with three-time Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner became one of the most compelling in the sport. In 2008 Merritt and Wariner combined for the top 16 400m times in the world. In 2007 Merritt became the ninth man ever to break the 44-second barrier in the men's 400m. As just a high school senior, he ran what was then the second-fastest indoor 400m time ever of 44.93. That time remains a World Junior record. Merritt turned pro as an 18-year-old after his freshman indoor season at East Carolina.
Results
2011: 2nd at Stockholm (44.74)
2010: Did not compete
2009: 1st at USA Outdoors (44.50); 1st at Baie Mahault (44.50); 1st at Reebok Grand Prix (44.75); 1st in 300m at Nike Prefontaine Classic (31.30)
2008: 1st at World Athletics Final (44.50); 1st at Nike Prefontaine Classic (44.65); 1st at Berlin (44.03); 1st at Baie Mahault (44.34); 1st in 200m at Doha (20.08); 1st in Greensboro (19.80w)
2007: Tyson Invitational Indoor champion (45.51); 2nd at Reebok Grand Prix (45.09); 2nd at Nike Prefontaine Classic (45.17); 1st at Kingston (44.95); 1st at Paris (44.62); 1st at Rome (44.44); 1st at Monaco (44.38); 1st in 200m at Thessaloniki (20.02); 2nd at London (44.23)
2006: 1st at World Cup (44.54); 3rd at World Athletics Final (44.14); 1st at Nike Prefontaine Classic (44.88); 4th at Rome (44.77); 5th at Lausanne 200m (20.10); 2nd at Stockholm 200m(20.25)
2005: 4th at USA Outdoor Champs (44.73); 2nd in 400m at Nike Prefontaine Classic (45.57); 1st at Powered by Tyson Invitational (44.93i); 1st at Kingston, Jamaica (44.66)
2003: Virginia State HS 100m (10.47), 200m (21.13) & 400m (47.69) champion
USA/World Results and Personal Bests
2011: Outdoor bests - 200m, 20.13 (No. 3 in the USA, No. 9 in the world); 400m, 44.35 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 1 in the world)
2010: Did not compete
2009: Outdoor bests - 200m, 20.07 (No. 4 in the USA, No. 8 in the world); 400m, 44.06 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 1 in the world)
2008: Indoor bests - 200m, 20.82 (No. 12 in the USA, No. 12 in the world); Outdoor bests - 200m, 20.08 (No. 6 in the USA, No. 6 in the world); 400m - 400m, 43.75 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 1 in the world)
2007: Indoor bests - 200m, 20.71 (No. 6 in the USA, No. 8 in the world); 400m, 45.51 (No. 1 in the USA, No. 1 in the world); Outdoor bests - 200m, 19.98 (No. 5 in the USA, No. 7 in the world); 400m, 43.96 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 2 in the world)
2006: Indoor bests - 200m, 20.72 (No. 9 in the USA, No. 10 in the world); 400m, 46.17 (No. 8 in the USA, No. 16 in the world); Outdoor bests - 200m, 20.10 (No. 5 in the USA, No. 8 in the world); 400m, 44.14 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 3 in the world)
2005: Indoor bests - 200m, 20.40 (No. 5 in the USA, No. 5 in the world); 400m, 44.93 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 2 in the world); Outdoor bests - 200m, 20.38 (No. 12 in the USA, No. 24 in the world); 400m, 44.66 (No. 5 in the USA, No. 9 in the world)
2004: Outdoor bests - 45.25 (No. 16 in the USA, No. 39 in the world)