Photo above by www.photorun.net: Jeremy Wariner won the Men's 400m in a personal best time of 43.50 on August 7 at the DN Galan Meet in Stockholm, Sweden.

Jeremy Wariner is superlative. He has raced his way to the top in three consecutive years: Olympic Gold in Athens (2004), IAAF World Championship Gold in Helsinki (2005), and six wins in the Golden League Series resulting in a $250,000 Jackpot share (2006). No other American track and field athlete has this stellar consistency as the IAAF World Championships open in Osaka, Japan on Saturday, August 25. There is no guarantee in sport for a winning outcome, but there are heavy favorites like this leading American contender.

Photo below by Drew: Jeremy Wariner leaves the starting blocks during the first round of 200m heats at the AT&T USA Outdoor National Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis, IN

While the dazzle of the 100m and 200m sprints give those athletes greater public exposure, repetition also allows fans to become acquainted over the years with enduring racers. Jeremy Wariner spoke via USATF teleconference to the media on Monday, August 20 about his upcoming 400m races in Japan. (The Men's 400m heats will be held on August 28, 29, and 31. The 4x400m relay heats will be on September 1 and 2.)

The other top American 400m men are 2007 national champion Angelo Taylor (44.05 pb), LaShawn Merritt (44.06 pb) of East Carolina University, and Lionel Larry (44.67 pb) of USC. A sweep of all three medals is possible because Wariner, Taylor, and Merritt are the only men consistently posting 44s this year. Jeremy believes the American roster in the event has so much talent and depth that they definitely can take down the World Record of 2:54.20 set by Americans in 1998.

Photo below by www.photorun.net: Angelo Taylor (left) lunges forward to barely win (44.05) the 2007 Men's 400m outdoor title with LaShawn Merritt placing second (44.06).

Jeremy has his mind focused on standing atop the 400m podium at this year's IAAF World Championships. The 23-year-old has a long athletic career ahead of him (Alan Webb is one year older) as long as he continues to avoid serious injury. Hard work, a great coach, and a humble yet confident attitude make it likely that he will overtake Michael Johnson's 400m World Record (43.18 during August, 1999) in due course. But the record is not a burning concern for him in 2007; winning gold in Osaka fuels Jeremy's passion. Michael has set a marker in the 200m (19.32) and 400m for what is humanly possible with current training methods. Sanya Richards mentioned in Indianapolis last year that Michael Johnson was [almost] thirty years old when he set his first Outdoor World Record in 1996.

Photo above and below by www.photorun.net: Jeremy Wariner tested out the track in Osaka, Japan while winning (44.02) the Osaka Grand Prix Men's 400m in May. Photo below, before the start.

Jeremy Wariner as quoted by USATF: "I love the track here. I've never seen this type of surface. It has a very nice spring to it. I hope to come back in August and set a new world record."

Jeremy Wariner's gold medal event is the Men's 400m; he has also mined precious medals on the 4x400m Relay with his fellow American 400m stars. He has been racing internationally at 200m in 2006 and 2007. His Athens Olympic 400m victory in 2004 came during a collegiate career at Baylor University, where Coach Clyde Hart guided the Baylor Bears track & field team until relinquishing the post two years ago. After the Olympic Games, six foot tall, 155 pound Jeremy Wariner turned professional and accepted the challenge of competing at the international level. Clyde Hart remains his coach in Waco, TX; Sanya Richards, a brilliant female 200m/400m runner, also joined the training group in 2006 to learn from the masterful Hart.

Jeremy Wariner spoke about his long term goals during a Drake Relays teleconference in April, 2006. His mastery of one event, the 400 meters, led him to tackle a second distance starting in 2006, the 200m. (He set school records at both distance during his high school career.) Michael Johnson trained under Coach Hart and flashed as gold medalist in the 200m and 400m at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Jeremy wants to strive toward a future double in major competitions, although this is a Herculean task that few athletes have achieved (Michael Johnson in 1996, Olympians French woman Marie-Jose Perec in 1996, American Valerie Brisco-Hooks in 1984).

In 2004 and 2005, Jeremy demonstrated his mastery of the 400m by winning at the Olympics and World Championships. In 2006, he began to race the shorter 200m that requires greater speed and less endurance than the 400m. Although he has not matched the best 200m (20.19 pb) competitors yet, his 400m personal best time has improved from 43.62 to 43.50. His 2007 racing season has been focused on racing 200m with fewer 400m races on his schedule. The idea is to allow him to race the 400m more comfortably through experience with faster 200m races.

At the 2006 USATF National Outdoor Championships press conference, Jeremy Wariner appeared to be of average build and a nice guy--similar to 7-time Tour de France champion and fellow native Texan Lance Armstrong, who made an appearance at the 2006 ING New York City Marathon in sub-3:00 style. These two champions seem approachable and speak in moderation, which make them outstanding sports ambassadors.

During this week's teleconference, Jeremy expressed his interest as a teenager in Cowboys football team with Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. He didn't watch Michael Johnson's Atlanta Olympic races until given a video last year. Jeremy first ran track in 2000 (age 16), and played the rough and tumble game of football during high school in Arlington, TX.

Note: Jeremy Wariner has his own Web site www.jeremywariner.com

A 400m victory in all six 2006 Golden League track & field meets

Jeremy Wariner's Winning Times
44.31   Exxon Mobil Bislett Games Oslo on June 2
43.91   Meeting Gaz de France Paris on July 8
43.62   Golden Gala Rome on July 14
44.20   Weltklasse Zurich on August 18
44.29   Memorial Van Damme Brussels on August 25
44.26   ISTAF Berlin on September 3

Golden Eye
Photo above by www.photorun.net: Jeremy Wariner won the Men's 400m in 44.02 at the 2006 IAAF World Athletics Final held in Stuttgart, Germany during September.

USATF quoted Jeremy Wariner: It is a great way to finish my season. I got out quick the way I usually do, then controlled the curve and took it home strong. Gary Kikaya and LaShawn Merritt have been on my hips all season, and today they really dug deep and ran well. I kept an eye on Merritt and saw Kikaya coming strong at the end, but I just stayed focused till through the line.

This year [2006] I focused on winning the Golden League and breaking the world record. Michael Johnson wants me to break it, I know he does, we will see about that in 2007.

2005 IAAF World Championships Men's 400m

Friday, August 12, 2005 - 21:35  
Place 		Athlete 		Country 	Time
1  		Wariner Jeremy 		USA 		43.93	(WL)
2  		Rock Andrew 		USA 		44.35	(PB)
3  		Christopher Tyler 	CAN 		44.44	(NR)
4  		Brown Christopher 	BAH 		44.48	(PB)
5  		Benjamin Timothy 	GBR 		44.93
6  		Simpson Brandon 	JAM 		45.01 	
7  		Williamson Darold 	USA 		45.12 	 	
8  		Steffensen John 	AUS 		45.46 	

Photo below by www.photorun.net: 20-year-old Jeremy Wariner, a student at Baylor University, wins the Men's 400m at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

2004 Athens Olympic Men's 400m

Monday, August 23, 2004 - 21:05  	 
Place  	 Athlete   	      Country 		Time 
1  Wariner Jeremy 		USA 		44.00 (PB) 	
2  Harris Otis  		USA 		44.16 (PB)	
3  Brew Derrick 		USA 		44.42 (SB)	
4  Francique Alleyne 		GRN 		44.66  	
5  Simpson Brandon 		JAM 		44.76 (PB)	
6  Clarke Davian 		JAM 		44.83 (PB)	
7  Djhone Leslie 		FRA 		44.94  	
8  Blackwood Michael 		JAM 		45.55